50 Agric Graduates Off to Israel for 11-month Education Projects

This follows collaboration between the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and its partners in Israel to provide state-of-the-art training, as well as opportunities for young graduates in agripreneurship and agribusiness.

The Ghanaian graduates, during their 11-month stay, will be exposed to various agricultural technologies.

They will also receive monthly stipends as part of the training, and are expected to make enough savings from their monthly earnings to set up their own Greenhouse farms upon return.

During an orientation programme yesterday for the graduates, who are expected to leave Ghana on September 21, 2018, Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto said government was committed to implementing policies and programmes that would ensure the modernisation of the agricultural sector and create jobs for the teeming youth of this country.

The programme also marked the formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Ghana and Israel to commit the two countries to a long-term agreement towards the co-operation and training of students in educational projects in agriculture.

The Minister indicated that among the programmes would be the establishment of three satellites training centres in the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions for the training and production of Greenhouse vegetable farming.

He explained that whilst the centres at Dawhenya and Kasoa are in full operation, the one at Akomadan in the Ashanti Region is expected to be completed by the end of next year.

Dr Afriyie observed that Ghana is hoping to tap into the vast knowledge and experience of Israel in the use of modern technology for the development of agriculture.

“This programme is expected to propel Ghana to become one of the biggest producers and exporters of vegetables in the sub-Saharan region, and it is the commitment of the government to change the face of agriculture through its flagship ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ (PFJ) programme,” he said.

Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie further explained that Ghana hopes to tap into the vast knowledge and experience of Israel in the use of modern technology for the development of agriculture.

Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto signed the MoU on behalf of the Government of Ghana whilst the Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Ami Mehl, and CEO of Agro Studies, the International Centre For Agricultural Studies, Mr Yaron Tamir, signed on behalf of the Israeli government.

Source: thefinderonline