China supports nascent agro-processing initiatives in northern Ghana

The Chinese government has handed over a support package for small-scale agro-processing initiatives in northern Ghana.

Through its grants for agricultural development in the West African country, the Chinese government Friday donated 13 sets of corn grinders, two sets of soya bean flour milling machines as well as one set of millet milling machine to the Development Authority in charge of the Northern Savannah zone.

Presenting the items meant to help initiate community-based agro-processing in the northern parts of the country, China's Ambassador to Ghana, Sun Baohong, stressed that her country's high achievements in agriculture had been a result of the high premium the Chinese government places on the sector, with advanced technology and effective policies.

She lauded the government of Ghana for launching such initiatives as "One District-One Factory"; "One Village-One Dam"; and "Planting for Food and Jobs", which she said demonstrated the government's great attention to agricultural modernization.

"Over the years, China and Ghana have conducted win-win and fruitful cooperation in agriculture. China provides a good number of training opportunities to Ghana for bringing up the agriculture talents," she noted.

About Chinese achievements in agriculture and food security, the ambassador said, with only about nine percent of the world's land, China produced 25 percent of the world's food to feed 20 percent of the world's population.

She said following the visit by Ghana's Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia to China, more credible Chinese enterprises were willing to come and explore investment opportunities in the West African country.

"A number of Chinese enterprises are also here investing in agriculture, from planting to processing. As an important partner, China will strengthen cooperation with Ghana in agriculture in the future," Sun pledged.

Receiving the donated items, Ghana's Minister for Special Development Initiatives Mavis Hawa Koomson observed that the arrival of the equipment was timely, since they would support the flagship programs of the government.

"The recent visit of Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia to China and the presence of senior leadership of the Chinese government during the inauguration of President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo signals a new era of win-win bilateral relationship between our two counties," the Ghanaian minister said.