Counting on food, jobs and the ‘Devil’s Breath’
One of the encouraging aspects of the progressive ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ programme of President Nana Akufo-Addo, is the disclosure that Agricultural Extension Officers (AEOs), are emphatically back in favour.
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So I have a plea for the AEOs. While the nation is relying on them to boost agriculture, I’m counting on them for two things: Firstly, that they will focus on the correct application of agricultural chemicals, notably fertilizer.
Secondly, that they will also collaborate with other agricultural specialists to develop the Ghana version of ‘Dragon’s Breath’, reported last week to be the world’s hottest pepper (chilli) – or an even hotter one!
The AEOs, specialists trained in agriculture to assist farmers, for some reason fell out of favour during the President Mahama administration. They were left to idle at home in frustration, but President Akufo-Addo has reversed that.
Last week, speaking to the Ghanaian community during his visit to Senegal, about his plans for agriculture, the President said his government had, in the last three months employed 1,200 of the graduates, adding: “In 2018, we will employ 2,000 more extension officers, with the solemn pledge of employing more graduates from our colleges of agriculture in the subsequent years.”
He was also quoted as saying that the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ programme, launched in Goaso, Brong-Ahafo, a month ago, was the answer to the problem of the migration of youth to the city centres. Additionally, it would end the “disgraceful spectacle” of Ghana importing food from neighbouring countries. Furthermore, the government had reduced the price of fertilizer by 50 percent.
The promise to employ more of the AEOs means that our farmers will be assured of expert advice and guidance on best farming methods. As stated earlier, I pray that training in the use of chemical fertilizer, which in present times has taken centre stage in our agriculture, will be high on the agenda.
Not surprisingly, the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ initiative reminds people of the ‘Operation Feed Yourself’ campaign during the era of Head of State General Kutu Acheampong. The OFY, spearheaded by the hard-working Col Frank Bernasko, saw Ghana even exporting rice and maize, if I remember right.
Another memorable feature of that period was the interest in agriculture that the OFY sparked in the general population. Activities ranged from serious backyard farming, through allotments acquisition, to people resigning from their city jobs to go to the rural areas to farm.
Significantly, it wasn’t only individuals who caught the farming fever. I remember that many organizations and institutions, too, went into farming.
Well, I wonder if the story will be the same now. From Accra, driving on the Winneba road, as far as the eyes can see the land that used to host allotments is now occupied by rows and rows of houses. Land for part-time farming is simply not available!
But, of course, land for full-time farming is still available and the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ programme managers will surely find a way to remove any impediments to achieve its objectives, as President Akufo-Addo has assured.
Also, I hope that Minister of Food and Agriculture Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto will pay particular attention to concerns about fertilizer-application.
For years our rural folk, the food-growers, and consumers too, have been complaining about the negative effect of fertilizer, how it results in attractive but tasteless produce. However, farmers find themselves compelled to use fertilizer because they need to be able to grow appealing produce that they can sell.
It is said that traders prefer tomatoes from Burkina Faso because those are of better quality and taste; and, unlike ours, don’t go bad so easily. What is it that our tomato famers are doing wrong?
Equally disturbing, what about the effect on our health of wrong fertilizer application, and pesticides, for that matter?
If I seem to have an obsession with wrong agricultural chemicals application, in a country like ours where illiteracy is high, notably in rural or farming areas, can we be sure that the chemicals are being applied properly by all users?
In the matter of diminished taste, as indicated earlier, a prime example I like to cite is pepper or chilli, as I’m partial to hot or spicy food. Some years ago, when fertilizer usage was not so widespread, one’s nose would instantly signal that there was pepper around even if the quantity was small, because of its pungency.
These days, pepper simply isn’t the pepper we knew, and I put the blame squarely on how pepper and other vegetables are grown now, with fertilizer.
Interestingly, a few days ago, there was news in the international media about “the newest unreasonably hot chilli pepper to stake a claim as the world’s hottest”. Its name: ‘Dragon’s Breath’, said to have been cultivated by a horticulturist in Wales, U.K., Mike Smith.
Quoting the BBC a writer, Clint Rainey, explains that the Dragon’s Breath registers 2.24 million ‘Scoville heat units’ (Wikipedia defines the Scoville scale as a measurement of the pungency or spicy heat of peppers) while the current world record holder, known as ‘the ‘Carolina Reaper’ is 2.2 million units. (For comparison, Tabasco, that well known pepper sauce is a mere 2,500 units.)
However, the warning is that Dragon’s Breath is not for consumption, but rather for medicinal uses, such as even an anaesthetic! “The oil (in it) numbs the skin so much that a person will essentially feel nothing.” Imagine that, pepper as an anaesthetic!
But maybe the Ghanaian palate, being more used to spicy food, will tolerate such hot peppers better. In fact, it might be considered ‘small trouble’!
Unfortunately, the report didn’t say whether Smith grew the wonder pepper naturally or with fertilizer. If he did use fertilizer, no doubt he knew what quantities to use.
Anyway, now that AEOs are back in business, I hope that some of them believe in organic farming and so will encourage farmers in their catchment areas to grow crops the natural way too, without fertilizer.
And did I hear somebody on BBC joking that the next chilli pepper to beat ‘Dragon’s Breath’ could be named ‘Devil’s Breath’? Surely, that is where Ghana’s horticulturists come in! They could produce a Ghanaian ‘Devil’s Breath’. We need it!