Hungary to Support Ghana’s agricultural growth with demonstration farms

Hungary is to establish six demonstration farms in Ghana to expose local farmers to agricultural innovation to aid the growth of the country’s agriculture.

Mr. Csaba Gyurica, the Director General of the National Agricultural Research and Innovation, said Hungarian plant varieties would not only be tested and presented but that domestic agricultural innovation results would be displayed on these farms.

He was speaking at the opening of the first sample farms at Akuse in the Lower Manya Krobo District, in the Eastern Region, and the University of Ghana.

He predicted that “the Hungarian agricultural innovation results may soon be the best-selling export product”.

The expectation is that the farms are going to create market opportunities for businesses.

The Director General explained that the newly launched farms were being mainly used for ornamental plants and various vegetable plants in tropical conditions.

“The first results are already encouraging – farmers in the region are pleased to welcome Hungarian varieties and technologies and more people are interested in the processing industry as well.”

Mr. András Szabó, the Hungarian Ambassador, said the re-opening of the Embassy of Hungary in Accra, three years ago, had significantly increased the economic, cultural, scientific and educational ties with the West African country.

“The sewage treatment system of Ghana is being modernized with Hungarian participation and our experts are also involved in the development of electronic identity database.

“The launch of the demonstration farms is not only a milestone in Ghanaian-Hungarian agricultural relations, but it may have an impact on the presentation of Hungarian agricultural products and technologies across Africa.”

He added that, with the population of Africa forecast to double over the next two decades, the growing demand for food and feed could not be addressed without external help.

That was why in the coming years, his country would introduce crop varieties and other domestic agricultural innovations in eight African countries to bring both scientific and economic results.

The professional coordination of the established farms would be done by the National Agricultural Research and Innovation Centre.

GNA