CropLife Ghana is working with CropLife Africa Middle East (CLAME) to develop short, medium, and long term plans that will serve as a guide in the battle against pesticide forgery.
The plan would encourage public-private partnerships and forge connections to build a long-lasting anti-counterfeiting program in Ghana.
In their efforts to combat crop protection product fraud, the two organizations operating in Ghana aim to take an all-encompassing strategy.
At a stakeholder forum on “Developing a Sustainable Strategy to fight the illicit Trade of Pesticides in Ghana,” Mr. Peter Ampofo, President of CropLife Ghana, said this.
He claimed that all industries, including the field of plant science, were becoming increasingly concerned about the illegal trade in pesticides.
He claimed that the illegality had a number of detrimental consequences on the environment, industry, national economies, and farmers.
The President stated that the health and incomes of farming communities, the environment, and the removal of incentives for the plant science industry to invest in innovation that contributes to ensuring food security are all harmed by counterfeit and other unlawful pesticides.
He urged the government to put in place steps to reduce the importation of these fake and illegal pesticides into the nation and to have mechanisms in place to sanction offenders.
“We are sure that the professional and ethical use of these goods improves the incomes and livelihoods of farmers and their families,” said Dr. Samira Amellal, director general of CLAME.
She claimed that the growth of the rural and national economy might be significantly aided by counterfeiting.
She claimed that because the contents of these illegal goods were unknown, untested, and unregulated, they presented a major threat to farmers, crops, and the environment.
The Director-General expressed the expectation that industry participants would be able to coordinate their efforts in order to work toward a shared benefit, a secure supply of food and safe agrochemicals.
According to Mr. Eric Quaye, the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Division (PPRSD), the Division acknowledged the crucial function CropLife Ghana played in coordinating the product stewardship activities of CropLife members.
According to him, the pivotal function played a significant influence in the growth and promotion of the value chains for fertilizers and pesticides inside Ghana’s agricultural system.
According to him, some of the outstanding initiatives that maintained driving sustainability management of pesticides and fertilizers among stakeholders throughout the years were the stakeholder sensitization, awareness development, and capacity building efforts carried out by CropLife.
It’s crucial to keep in mind that CropLife Ghana’s initiatives support the regulators who oversee the pesticide and fertilizer sectors in their efforts to ensure compliance and enforcement.
