Danger in the agric sector over use of agro-chemicals: Issah Ouedraogo calls on policy makers to act…

CEO and Founder of the agro firm B-Bovid Issa Ouedraogo says it is up to policy makers in the country to carve a way forward on the use of agro chemicals in Ghana.

Mr Ouedraogo told Melody News’ Joe Bright, if the country is not ready to do away with agro chemicals in its food chain, then regulators must get people well sensitized on the use of the artificial products.

“If we come to agree that we cannot do away with the agro-chemicals, then we have to get people well sensitized and trained to be using that”, he said.

According to him much of the problems associated with the use of these agro-chemicals come from the misapplication of the chemicals with its attendant negative impact on the farmer and the consumer.

“The policy makers would have to come along with their own rules, or we ourselves would say what is it that we want to achieve”.

“We want to achieve food security and healthy environment or healthy population; how do we achieve that? And what are the best ways to go about it?” Mr. Ouedraogo queried. He added that “can we do away with chemicals? Yes, if yes, what do we do?

His comments follows concerns raised by MP for Komenda Edina Eguafo Abriem constituency in the Central Region of Ghana, Samuel Atta Mills, that the use of agro chemicals by farmers is a major cause of several premature deaths in the country. Mr. Mills thus called for a strict regulation to ensure such chemicals like “weedicide” don’t make their way into the country.

The founder of one of Ghana’s finest organic agri-business firms – B-Bovid also wants industry players and policy makers to come to terms with “things we can do to increase the production of organic fertilizers in our own country which we can, and we have the materials”.

Issa Ouedraogo said Ghana need to think and come up with the best solution for “ourselves”.

By: Joe Bright Nyarko