HARARE – Ghana will apply technology in its quest to cut down the huge foreign exchange spent on the cost of food importation, the country’s Minister for Food and Agriculture Owusu Afriyie Akoto has said.

Ghana spent a total of $2.2 billion to import cereals consumed locally in 2016 as compared to $345 million on the same products in 2007, said the minister.

He said the government will engage small farmers and support them with relevant technology to enhance agricultural productivity.

The strategy is to transform agriculture by introducing new technology to small-scale farmers and giving them the support and the seed technology, said Akoto.

"This way, they can raise the productivity of agriculture in the country and through that we produce the surpluses to feed our industries for export,” he said.

The government was committed to the implementation of one of its flagship programme, "Planting for Food and Jobs,” as contained in its 2016 manifesto presented for the election, added the minister.

Xinhua