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| A cross section of the audience at the launch |
A former Vice-Chancellor of the University, and alumnus of the College, Prof. Kwadwo Asenso-Okyere was the Special Guest of Honour. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Representative to Ghana, Dr. Thiombiano Lamourdia, delivered the Keynote Address.
In his Opening Remarks, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana and Chairman of the launch ceremony, Prof. Ernest Aryeetey said the 65th Anniversary celebration was an opportunity to review the performance of the various units of the University, including the College of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences. He said that the future of Ghana depended largely on, among others, how agriculture was managed. He therefore called for sound policies and practices to guide the agricultural sector. Prof. Aryeetey said the decision to locate the present CACS under the framework of a broader College as envisaged under the planned Collegiate System of the University was aimed at bringing together agricultural, social and other scientists to ensure the best results. Prof. Aryeetey also assured the College of the University’s commitment towards the expansion of the College’s structures and facilities with laboratories and administrative offices.
The Provost of the CACS, Prof. Kwame Offei, in his welcome address expressed the hope that the amalgamation of various departments under the envisaged collegiate system would lead to synergy for the new Colleges to be created. He said the theme for CACS’s celebration was also a reflection of one of the social areas, poverty reduction, that the University plans to work on.
In his address titled “Sixty-Five Years of Agricultural Education at the University of Ghana”, the Special Guest of Honour, Prof. Asenso-Okyere touched on the importance of agriculture to Ghana’s economy and the adoption of various national strategies to diversify and increase output. He lauded the College’s achievements which include educating and training most of the human resource which currently manage Ghana’s agricultural sector.
Citing the numerous challenges confronting agriculture in the modern era, including the one-billion, hungry population of the world, effects of climate change and the need for new, pest-resistant crop varieties among others, Prof. Asenso-Okyere advocated tremendous changes in the development of agriculture. He said there was the need to move away from the classical methods of teaching agriculture to building of learning platforms for all stakeholders, including lecturers, students, and farmers. He noted that agricultural production must be knowledge-based, with the help of extension officers and graduates trained with innovative methods. He also called for the introduction of new curricula which are sensitive to rural environments and which make graduates experience the problems of the rural people.
Prof. Asenso-Okyere also argued for the integration of research in the universities into the national agricultural research agenda, so that research finding and inputs would be relevant to national policies.
He said the proposed restructuring by the University into the collegiate system was laudable, and hoped all stakeholders would contribute to the realization of the new vision.
In his Key-note Address, Dr. Lamourdia, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Representative to Ghana, emphasized the need for sustainable farming and “agri-food” systems in view of the chronic hunger facing 1 billion of the world’s population of which 98% live in developing countries. Dr. Lamourdia was optimistic however, that sustainable agriculture could help ensure global food security. He also presented FAO publications to the Dean of the School of Agriculture, Prof. John Ofosu-Anim.
In his closing Remarks the Chairperson, Prof. Aryeetey, expressed disappointment with numerous efforts in the past, at the national level to produce adequate food supplies, ensure proper storage and equitable distribution, which have failed. He therefore called for a new interface for all stakeholders – farmers, universities, extension officers, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, and policy makers to address the challenges of the sector.
The ceremony was graced by poetry recitals and cultural performances by the Abibigroma of the School of Performing Arts of the University.
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