A Former and retired lecturer with the School of Agriculture, University of Cape Coast, Professor Jonathan Padi Tetteh has charged the university, especially the School of Agriculture to lead the quest for agricultural transformation in Ghana.
He notes that most agricultural research findings on the creation of novel technologies on various crops that are aimed at improving the country’s agricultural gains have not received the necessary support and attention.
For instance, he said “there are examples of 56 released varieties of agricultural crops but then the farmers who can grow it are not aware. The sixth producers who will produce it are not aware, so we should all be aware that this is what is going on.”
He also bemoaned the improper felling of trees and the haphazard ways of building houses which to him is destroying the land and making it difficult for growing crops.
Prof Padi Tettey notes this will negatively impact the country’s agricultural activities in years to come if not swiftly addressed.
Hence he said there is a need for reinforcement strategy by the concerned bodies to bring change and the school of Agriculture should take that initiative to make things better.
“If it involves calling meetings for Deans to come and meet and discuss what we need to do, somebody will have to lead. Then the things which are very relevant to inform government about, you make available. UCC happens to be the leading university in West Africa now so, we should also lead in that campaign to make the other universities aware. Let’s come together, let us plan, and let us contact the government, he emphasized.
Prof. Jonathan Padi Tetteh said these while delivering a presentation at the School of Agriculture Seminar Series dubbed: Time with the Senior Citizens held at the University of Cape Coast on Tuesday.
The UCC School of Agriculture as part of its research seminar series has introduced a semester-based program; Time with the senior citizens which seeks to bring retired faculty members to share their experience and knowledge with both the staff and students of the school.
Prof. Jonathan Tetteh stated that it is time agricultural experts rise and re-echoed to policymakers the need to adopt and factor agricultural research findings into policy-making to maximize Ghana’s agricultural gains.
Professor Jonathan Padi Tetteh who served the university for 36 years joined the then crop science unit under the Department of Agriculture in 1984 where he established himself and accomplished great altitudes.
He created novel technologies on several crops such as yam, cassava, maize, and beans among others as a result of the findings from the research
On his part, the Vice-Dean of the school of agriculture, Professor Julius Hagan who spoke to ATLFMNEWS on the essence of the introduction of the Time with the senior citizens’ program said the program has been instituted to honour retired colleagues who have been with the school for 30 years and above.
“The least I can do is to celebrate them. So, we have instituted what we call Time with the Senior Citizens to invite them to come and share their experience with us and to also advise us on how best we can move the school to the next level. This is the first and maiden edition, we are going to do every semester,” he said
He said the invitees will be allowed to choose a topic that is relevant to national development and advise the school on such platforms on what to do as a nation to help move agriculture forward.
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Source: Eric Sekyi/ATLFMNEWS
