AGRA, MOFA intensify support for organic fertiliser as food insecurity fears grow
3 min read
File Photograph: The has been a lack of inorganic fertiliser thanks to the Russia-Ukraine crisis
In a bid to enhance the Ghanaian agricultural manufacturing amid fears of impending food items insecurity because of to worldwide fertiliser shortage as a final result of the Russia—Ukraine war, the Alliance for a Environmentally friendly Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is intensifying its assistance to the regional natural fertiliser sector by introducing a set of pointers to change, not only the output market place, but the entire agriculture and foodstuff sector.
Ghana’s natural and organic fertiliser sub-sector has been expanding in the past handful of many years with the placing up and operationalisation of big-scale output crops in the Better Accra and Ashanti Regions.
In addition, many people have been producing organic and natural fertilisers on a little to medium-scale for lots of many years to farmers though some are unregulated.
With the recent inorganic fertiliser crisis, the manufacturing and use of organic fertilizer are on the rise.
Though there is an overarching legislation and laws for the fertiliser sector, it is mainly skewed toward the inorganic fertilisers which type a significant percentage of the fertilisers utilised in Ghana, for this reason, it is critical that some tips are produced for the budding organic and natural fertiliser sector.
Speaking at a ceremony to handover and build consciousness on the guidelines in Accra, Dr. Lionel Axel Kadja, Regional Head for West Africa, AGRA, claimed it will provide the least guidelines for the output and distribution of organic and natural fertilisers, show the registration methods and prerequisites for an entity to be classified as an organic and natural fertiliser producer, the sampling and tests routine of organic and natural fertilisers, and other ancillary suggestions for the sector.
“These rules will be a important device for fertiliser inspectors and analysts who will regulate high quality handle of output solutions that are dispersed to farmers, and will ensure balanced and high-quality products and solutions in the Ghanaian current market for smallholder farmers’ use and for export,” he mentioned.
Will need to improve major-quality agricultural input uptake
Addressing the want for the improve in top rated top quality agricultural input uptake at farmer and industry degrees, Dr. Kadja defined that the West African Agricultural sector is ripe for an increased uptake of fertilisers.
“Fertiliser use in West Africa remains the most affordable globally with an common below 20kg/ha. With the vitamins and minerals depletion at present noticed, this is a important variable to consider if we are to increase yields and thus output, and lessen import expenditures of a sure variety of important commodities,” he mentioned.
The Director of Plant Defense and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) at the Ministry of Foodstuff and Agriculture (MOFA), Eric Bentsil Quaye, claimed the present planet crisis on mineral fertilisers brought about a renewed curiosity in the creation and use of organic and natural fertilisers in the place, turning out to be vital, as a result, for a guideline to be made to enhance the Fertilizer Act and Laws for the fertiliser sector which has been mostly skewed towards the inorganic fertilisers, which varieties a substantial proportion of the fertilisers made use of in Ghana.
“It is towards this track record that the Plant Protection and Regulatory Products and services Directorate (PPRSD) of the MOFA, as the national regulator of fertilisers, requested the guidance of Alliance for Environmentally friendly Revolution in Africa (AGRA), with USAID as sponsors, to develop the Organic Fertiliser Recommendations for Ghana,” he stated.
“The guideline addresses methods for environment up natural and organic fertiliser creation amenities registration procedures for organic fertilisers, sampling, actual physical and chemical check solutions, and management of squander at natural and organic fertiliser production facilities,” he extra.
