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Ghana’s quest to reduce poverty can be fast-tracked with unwavering committment to boost productivity in agriculture, as well as agribusiness.
That’s according to Edwin Provencal, the Managing Director of the Bulk Oil Storage and Transport (BOST) company.
Mr. Provencal, who was speaking at the 6th Institute of Financial and Economic Journalists (IFEJ) Flamingo Awards to award excellence in business and financial reporting, stated that there is the need for the media to also play its part by highlighting the potential inherent in the agriculture sector.
The BOST MD, who was the Chairman of the awards ceremony, stated that the country’s surest way out of poverty is agribusiness, calling for more attention to be paid to the sector.
“Agribusiness is our road map to poverty eradication in Ghana. If we have to feed ourselves, it is agribusiness. We need to build factories in areas that we have a comparative advantage and that is agriculture.”
“So, if we put our one district, one factory in agribusiness, definitely we are going to be competitive. We will feed ourselves and earn the desired foreign exchange for our country. Without agribusiness, it will be difficult for any African business to develop,” he stated.
Speaking on the theme for the event: “Towards agribusiness and the sustainable development goals,” Kwasi Korboe, who is the CEO of Ghana-Incentive-Based Risk-Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (GIRSAL) Project, said there is a strong correlation between poverty and agribusiness.
He argued that poverty is endemic in rural areas where the majority of people are engaged in agriculture and thus when the agribusiness value chain is enhanced, the issue of poverty will also be addressed.
“Most of the SDGs are supposed to address the issues of human life quality, food, poverty etc. Most of the activity of agribusiness tend to be in rural areas. When you get the poverty indices, you realise that there is quite a high incidence of poverty in rural areas.”
” So when you improve agribusiness, you end up addressing the issue of poverty, equality, and nutrition,” he added.
Awards
Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, a journalist with the African Eye portal emerged the overall IFEJ Business and Financial Journalist for 2019.
He also picked up the Best report in Agribusiness and Best Report in Development.
Other winners on the night included Charles Benoni Okine (Graphic Business) Best in Finance Feature; Francisca Arhin (GH One), Best in Business/ Manufacturing News Story; and Jessica Acheampong (Graphic Business), Best in Natural Resources News Story.
The rest are Emmanuel Bruce (Graphic Business), Best in Local Economy News Story; James Malvin Dadzie (Crusading Guide), Best in Tourism News Story; and Ama Achia Amankwaah Baafi (Graphic Business), Best in ICT News Story.
by Richard Annerquaye Abbey
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