Agric Experts call for more publicity on ongoing Agric Census

There have been calls for more publicity for the on-going 2018  Agriculture Census. 

The exercise which started in April will end in July, with a possible extension. 

The census is to help government and policy makers to effectively plan for the Agricultural sector. 

This is the first Agriculture Census since the last one in 1985. 

Panelists on GTV's Current Affairs Programme “Talking Point,” expressed optimism that the exercise will achieve the desired results, urging all to cooperate with the enumerators who will visit homes and institutions to collect and collate data. 

Deputy Director at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and Deputy Census Coordinator, Sydney Oko Bampoe said over the years, funding has been a major challenge to conducting a census on Agriculture. 

The sector he noted contributes almost twenty percent to GDP, and a driver of low inflation.  

Mr. Bampoe said any boost to the sector will propel economic growth.

The Assistant Chief Statistician and Census of Agriculture Coordinator, Francis Dzah said there are Monitors who will guide field officers during the exercise. 

He said the enumerators have been well prepared and trained to collect reliable data. 

Mr. Dzah said the 2018 Agriculture Census will factor in a lot of data that hitherto were absent. 

The Head of Agriculture Economics, School of Agriculture, University of Ghana, Dr. Irene Egyir said though Ghana has no problem with abundant arable land and  food production it is imperative for the census to capture key areas like the supply chain and post production challenges as well as infrastructure and ready market for the food produced. 

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