The University of Cape Coast (UCC) and the Asian African Consortium (AAC), a division of the Jospong Group of Companies, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to conduct research to increase the production of rice, maize, and soy in the nation.
In order to promote food efficiency in the nation, the partnership aims to define shared areas of collaboration to fulfill the overall mandate of the parties, establish a strategy for collaborative operations, and specify the scope and guiding principles of engagement between the parties.
At the signing ceremony last Thursday in Accra, the AAC's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Adelaide Araba Siaw Agyepong, stated that the agreement would make it easier for ACC to work with the UCC research institutes around Ghana and would intensify research and development, as well as overcome obstacles to economic development and progress.
She continued by saying that it would also make it easier to form a research and development consortium with representatives from business, crop science, technology, agriculture engineering, and chemical engineering as a permanent committee to provide guidance on the entire value chain in the production of rice, maize, soy, and other staples.
Again, she said, "This arrangement will make it easier to set up a seedling center for the industrial production of seedlings for sale to farmers."
Self-sufficiency
She highlighted that the ACC's integrated rice project aims to make Ghana self-sufficient in rice production, which would have a big positive impact on the nation's economy.
The alliance, according to the AAC CEO, is essential for fostering more collaboration and stimulating the economy.
The MoU would hopefully open the door for more partnerships between the two universities, said Mrs. Siaw Agyepong.
Prof. Johnson Nyarko Boampong, the vice chancellor of the University of Cape Coast, reaffirmed that the university provided specialist training for students to become self-sufficient and successful businesses as well as to generate jobs for others.
"We also put a lot of effort into giving our pupils the skills they need to succeed in life," he continued.
He pointed out that despite Ghana's rich resources and fertile terrain, it continued to import food even though it was capable of producing it itself.
While other nations without arable lands have discovered methods to grow food locally and even export it, he remarked, "It is very sad that Ghanaians must import from other nations to feed ourselves."
He emphasized that the university supported the project wholeheartedly and mentioned that the UCC had purchased a 450-acre agricultural plot as a minor but helpful addition to efforts to reduce imports.
Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, the executive chairman of the Jospong Group, said that agriculture and research must work together to guarantee that the nation benefits fully from both.
He stated that since rice has become a basic meal in Ghana, efforts must be made to generate both the required quality and quantity, and that this could not be done without the support of academia.
He exhorted the institution to make sure that the seedlings it generated could tolerate regional circumstances and deliver good results.
"We have the expertise and resources to complete this."
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