The government has been urged to build cutting-edge processing facilities and factories to prepare agricultural products for domestic and foreign markets, according to the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) of the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tema, Mr. Edward T. Kareweh, General Secretary of the GAWU, stated that such a significant step will assist farmers overcome the problem of post-harvest losses.
If you take tomatoes, you know that the raw tomatoes cannot stay for long until you are able to can it, he said. “One of the things with agriculture is that the products are bulky and perishable so you need to process it to expand its lifestyle.”
Do You Want to read more news?
Read More News Here
Mr Kareweh explained that processing perishable foods preserved it to be safe to be eaten beyond the harvest season and also create more employment for the youth to boost the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
He added that it was also a sure way of boosting the agricultural industry to match the increasing demand for both local consumption and exportation as well as preserving food for the citizens during unforeseen circumstances.
The GAWU Secretary said the lack of processing companies is hindering the growth of the agricultural sector as most of the farm products ended up getting spoiled.
“When you don’t have processing plant you realize that we don’t produce enough but when you do, you realize that the capacity of those processing plants in a day to a month, you may be struggling to even have enough of the foodstuffs to feed the industry,” he explained.
“It’s just like when you cook food and you don’t have a freezer to store it, how much can you eat? he quizzed.
Source: newsghana.com.gh|Ghana
Send your news stories to abakahjoshua@pexnewsonline.com or pexnews20@gmail.com
Follow PexNews Online
