Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, has commissioned and handed over new offices for use by the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) at Ho.
The new office is expected to enhance the operations of the company for both the Volta and Oti Regions.
The two-room offices, an initiative of the Regional Minister, were rehabilitated and partly furnished by the Volta Regional Co-ordinating Council, following an appeal by the Chief Executive of NAFCO, George Abradu-Otoo, upon assumption of office earlier this year.
Speaking at the commissioning and handing-over ceremony in Ho, Mr Gunu said the agrarian nature of the region, coupled with the fact that agriculture is the biggest employer of the region’s inhabitants, necessitated the need to forge a partnership with NAFCO as the national aggregator.
According to him, the partnership is intended to ensure farmers in the region do not suffer post-harvest losses since a well-resourced NAFCO will be in a position to provide a ready market for farm produce.
“Sixty per cent of our people are into agriculture …that is not enough. I intend that we deliberately use agriculture to improve the local economy and reduce unemployment, particularly among the youth. This is part of my three-point agenda for the region”.
The Chief Executive of NAFCO, George Abradu-Otoo, announced his outfit has received some financial resources from government to purchase surplus grains to forestall a potential glut and increase the incidence of post-harvest losses in some parts of the country.
He described reported incidents of glut as regrettable and indicated that “In the next few days, Buffer Stock will be out there mopping up the excess grains into the National Food Security Reserve (NFSR), which has been revived on the orders of President John Mahama”.
He explained that the revival of the national food reserve further reflects government’s dedication to enhancing the livelihoods of smallholder farmers by creating an enabling environment where farming is made profitable, sustainable, and attractive to the younger generation.
He indicated that as part of the measures, NAFCO commenced processes to rehabilitate its Warehouses and other storage facilities dotted across the country to safeguard produce anticipated in bumper harvests as a result of the numerous interventions by government in the agriculture front.
He expressed gratitude to the Volta Regional Minister for spearheading the provision of offices to the company to promote its activities in the two regions.
The Volta Regional Manager of NAFCO, Bright Delali Kugbeadzor, said the new office will improve service delivery in the region.
The ceremony attracted many dignitaries, including Clement Kofi Humado, a former Minister for Food and Agriculture; Henry Ametefe, a former Deputy Volta Regional Minister; the Regional Director of Agriculture, William Dzamefe; and Togbe Akamu V, Chief of Anlo Afiadenyigba.