| | As a follow up to the Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AF) mission to Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana in May 2018, an 11 member delegation from Ghana toured the province August 13-17, 2018. The group was comprised of eight Members of Parliament, a Ghanaian consultant specializing in agriculture and education, and the High Commissioner and Deputy High Commissioner from Ghana’s High Commission in Ottawa.
“The main areas of focus for this delegation were the beef and dairy cattle industries as well as agri-food processing. Ghana’s beef and dairy cattle industries are rudimentary and their government is looking at ways to further develop them to reduce Ghana’s need for imports and increase exports of home-grown products to its neighbouring countries.” Said Evan Buie, international initiatives officer with AF.
The mission included tours and meetings at a number of Alberta companies including Davis-Rairdan Embryo Transplants, Breevliet Ltd. dairy farm, Cargill’s beef processing plant in Spruce Grove, and Olds College. The group visited several government-run facilities and discussed the importance of government involvement in the agriculture sector.
Staff at the Crop Diversification Centre South shared Alberta’s approach to irrigation and water management practices and showed the delegation how ground coconut husks could be used as a fertilizer to grow vegetables in greenhouses. The cowboys at Buck Mountain Provincial Grazing Reserve outlined how community pastures work and the benefits to their customers.
The group also toured the Food Processing and Development Centre where the Honourable Eric Opoku, Member of Parliament for Asunafo South Constituency, proclaimed, “This is exactly what we need in Ghana. A facility like this would go a long way in establishing a strong agri-processing industry in Ghana and, not only generate income for the country, but also create jobs and a higher quality of life for our people.”
For more information on developing markets, contact Evan Buie, international initiatives officer with AF, at 780-422-7839.
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