Agricultural co-operatives brainstorm on reviving sector
The Government has been urged to give the agricultural co-operatives in the cereals, grains, vegetables, fruit trees, fish and meat sectors the necessary priority in order for them to flourish.
According to stakeholders in the Agricultural Co-operative space, the sector can complement the planting for food and jobs programme if offered the needed support and attention.
Advertisement
They said this at a forum held at Ashaiman in the Greater Accra Region to discuss the development of viable agricultural co-operative societies in Ghana, organised by the Ghana Co-operative Agricultural Producers and Marketing Association (AGRICOOPS),
Employment
Currently, the agricultural co-operative in Ghana forms about 70 per cent of the total co-operative sector which has the potential to generate employment for millions and also supply food and raw materials for both export and domestic consumption.
However, most of the registered agricultural co-operative societies have been in a state of dormancy for years, and this has been aggravated by low productivity and under development of agricultural co-operative societies in Ghana.
Advocacy
Speaking at the forum, Ms Gloria Ofori Boadu reiterated the need to review the co-operative law passed in 1968 to be in tune with modern times.
She said apart from generating employment, a new law would also position members to attract loans to expand their farms and take full advantage of the many government policies, such as the planting for food and jobs and one district one factory.
Ms Ofori Boadu stated that in 2017 there was an attempt to make the cooperatives a totally nationally controlled body through the promulgation of the National Co-operative Authority Act.
Co-operative Authority
She, however, explained that establishing a co-operative authority would offend the internationally accepted principles of co-operatives which demanded that co-operatives must be voluntary, have open membership, democratic member control, economic participation of members, autonomy, Independence and concern for community.
Regulator
The acting Secretary-General of the Ghana Co-operative Council, Mr Albert Akwasi Boakye, said the government must play a role of a regulator and not seek to make co-operatives a part of government agency.
He posited that the co-operative law in its present form did not meet the aspirations of the development of co-operatives hence the need for a review.
The General Manager AGRICOOPS, Mr Victor Atsu Alorbu, said in other parts of the world co-operatives were doing very well as they contributed to national development in the area of job creation, food security and community development.
