On the 8th of August 2022 the department of Agriculture held management meeting to discuss how the department can improve and implement government flagship programmes
Mr. Augustine Kwarteng introduced to the meeting the agenda for the management meeting
He said per the MAG activities and the implementation, there is the need to revisit the programme and the way forward.
AGENDA’S
1. Mag Activities to Be Implemented
2. Nominations for National and Regional Awards
3. Municipal Awards
4. Invitation to Former Award Winners
5. Handing Over
6. Use of the Web-Based Portal
7. Planting for Export and Rural Development
8. Municipal RELC PLANINIG SESSION
Mag Activity Implementation
The Municipal Director said much attention should be given to 2022 Mag Activity implementation Budget. He said some of the activities have been done and a lot more to be done awaiting funding.
Some of the activities that need to be implemented were ‘ the use of local food ingredients’ ‘post-harvest management of crops’, food fortification and utilization, climate smart agriculture for field AEAs and farmers, safe use of agro inputs. These must be done by the scheduled officers.
The budget attached to it is about ready and we have to know that 70% of the funding must be utilized by the end of the third quarter. In other words Municipal Agricultural Officers must back up with the activity implementation for the year 2022.
Nominations for National and Regional Awards
Mr. Augustine Kwarteng told the meeting that there has been a letter from the national for the nomination of best farmers. Selection is on-going and so far only one {1} farmer has been selected to the national and the regional awards. The date and the itinerary for the National Inspection team to go rounds in the Region will be communicated to you when available. The deadline for the submission of the nominee is 1st September, 2022.
The nominations for the Municipal Awards.
Mr. Augustine Kwarteng said Municipal Agric officers as well as the farmers day celebration is concern is to make nominations to the office. These nominees are to be visited for inspection for the final selection to be done. The director said the AEAs are to be informed in at our next general staff meeting to allow for early submission to the office. The date for the submissions of the nominees will be 15th September, 2022 as the deadline.
Invitation to Former Award winners
Mr. George Ofori Atta, the Municipal Information systems Officer (MISO) informed the house that it will serve us good as a department to invite all the farmers who have won an award in the previous years to interact with them to avail ourselves to their status of activities since they were awarded the certificate. There may be some among them who might have step up in their field of operations as far as their various enterprises are concern. For example somebody who won an Overall Best farmer award in 2016 after four years or five can be rewarded a regional best award if really his activities are being tracked or monitored by the department, they have all been left to their faith and when it comes to regional or national awards we would be looking for a new person who haven’t been awarded before even sometimes very difficult for the department to have a single nomination the region.
Handing Over
The director of Agriculture inform the house on his retirement from active service. He said per the rules and regulations regarding the work there is the need to hand over to a new and incoming Director to take over from where he left.
In view of this there is going to be a handing over ceremony on the 1st of September, 2022 on which day there will be the monthly meeting of all staff of the Department. Field officers will submit their field reports per the activities done within the month.
The use of the Web-Based reporting template
The MIS Officer told the meeting that after officers have been trained on the functions and use of the portal for data entry and analysis, MoFA wishes to notify all National Directorate, Regional and District Department of Agriculture that the portal is now officially operational and ready for data entry with effect from 30th September, 2022.
The department should ensure that the capacities of the designated officers is built for effective use of the portal leading to quality data and reports.
The Municipal Director inform the management team that because of the Web- based reporting, two tablets have been purchased in the name of the Municipal to be used by the AEAs for the reporting and at the appropriate time it will be made available at the office of the MIS for it used.
Planting for Export and Rural Development
Mr. Emmanuel Mensah was asked by the Municipal Director whether the communities have been served with the oil palm seedlings.
Mr. Emmanuel Mensah said some of the communities have not been reached with the oil palm seedlings. There is the hope that they will be served since we have not received all the seedlings we were promised in both the first and the second phase. In all we are to receive about 150 seedlings within this planting season for both the first and the second phases of which we had made receipt of 81,500 seedlings and the difference will be supplied. The 81,500 seedlings received have been distributed to … farmers within the municipality the total acreage covered is 1,358 acres of oil palm plantations which will go a long way to boost the oil palm industry as was the dream of the government to introduced the Planting for Export and Rural Development policy (PERD)
The Municipal Director said all the Municipal Agric Officers must involve and be part of the registration and distribution of the oil palm seedlings when the need arises.
Demonstrations
The Municipal Director told the house that there is a rice demonstration at Anhwiaso Operational Area which was being handled by my Alhassan Laar Bukari the former Municipal Extension Officer. This will be taken care by the AEA in charge of the operation area Mr. Mustapha Ganiu. This demonstration is undertaking by the Crop Research Institute