CHIEF Executive Officer (CEO) of Kofi Vinyo Company Limited, Mr. Kofi Vinyo, has stressed the need for government to prioritise the organic agricultural projects to help sustain the country’s economy.
Speaking in an interview with Today during a recent visit to his farm in Sunyani West of the Brong Ahafo Region, Mr. Vinyo said his advice is critical “because organic products such as maize, pepper, tomato, ginger and tiger nuts have ready market in Ghana.
The physically challenged Mr. Vinyo, who emerged the National Best Farmer in maize production during the 2016 edition of the National Best Farmers’ Day, said that education and awareness on organic agriculture must be intensified.
“Market for organic agriculture as a niche market is growing at a fast rate. So as a nation, we can train our youth to venture into this area so that we can produce more and export. Ghana has the capacity and competitive advantage to do this. There is little awareness created about the health and economic benefits associated with it,” he said.
He, therefore, called on the government to support him with equipment to enable him employ more workers than his current staff of 200.
He further urged government and its development partners to fashion out pragmatic measures to make agricultural financing attractive in the country.
“If you compare tomatoes that are produced by organic to the ones that are produced conventionally with fertiliser, you will see that the ones grown with fertiliser are more likely to go bad than the organic ones,” he said.
“Most of the diseases these days come from what we eat and so if we are conscious about organic foods, we will be able to prevent some of these diseases,” Mr. Vinyo added.
Story: Freeman Koryekpor Awlesu
