MoFA, ABC Oyasasee Yie sign fertilizer MoU

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ABC Oyasasee Yie Limited for the establishment of a new organic facility in the Eastern Region. The facility, a private sector initiative, is expected to produce 500,000 metric tonnes of organic fertiliser annually to support the country's agriculture when completed.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in Accra yesterday, the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Eric Opoku, appealed to ABC Oyasasee Yie to move swiftly to establish and operationalise the facility. He said government would not entertain agreements that remained only on paper.

"The Ministry is ready to collaborate with the company to produce sufficient quantities of organic fertiliser to support the government's Feed Ghana Programme and boost food production." — Mr Eric Opoku, Minister of Agriculture

Mr Opoku said the Ministry expected the company to commence work on the project within days of signing the agreement, adding that the government was prepared to purchase some of the fertiliser produced to support the Feed Ghana Programme.

The Minister explained that organic fertiliser was essential for maintaining soil health and improving agricultural productivity, while helping to reduce some of the environmental and health concerns associated with the excessive use of chemical fertilisers. He said the shift towards organic fertiliser was necessary because food produced through agriculture was ultimately meant for human consumption, making the protection of the soil and environment critical.

Mr Opoku also encouraged more Ghanaians, particularly the youth, to invest in agriculture, saying the sector had the potential to create the jobs they were seeking. He said the government's priority was to ensure that agreements reached with investors translated into tangible projects, employment opportunities and economic benefits.

Mr Opoku assured that the Ministry would monitor the implementation of the agreement and visit the project site to ensure that activities progressed in line with the terms of the MoU.

The Director of ABC Oyasasee Yie Limited, Mr Samuel Adimado, said the project formed part of the company's efforts to support Ghana's food security and sustainable agriculture agenda by strengthening soil health, improving agricultural productivity and building climate resilience.

Mr Adimado said the fertiliser would not only provide essential nutrients to crops but also help improve and protect the structure of the soil, thereby creating favourable conditions for sustainable agricultural production. He said the initiative would further support Ghana's import substitution efforts, as a significant portion of the raw materials required for production would be sourced from within the West African sub-region.

According to him, the project would promote industrial development and create employment opportunities, particularly for young people and graduates of agriculture-related programmes. Mr Adimado added that the company had positioned itself to supply fertiliser beyond Ghana to meet the agricultural needs of other countries within the West African sub-region.

He expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for its support and collaboration towards the establishment of the facility.

BY CLIFF EKUKFUL