Kofi Ahovi

  The unending conflict between Russia and Ukraine has brought about the urgent need for countries that depend largely on Russia and Ukraine for some of their basic needs to revise their notes. The area that has really affected major parts of the world is the supply of farming inputs such as chemicals and fertiliser, basic commodities needed to boost farming activities. Inorganic fertiliser It is estimated that about 10 per cent of the world's phosphate and 25 per cent of the world's potassium come from Russia, both of which have been locked up because of the sanctions imposed on Russia. As a result, the price of potassium has gone up from $200 to $700 per tonne, while that of phosphorus has increased from $250 to $700 per tonne. This obviously has dire consequences on global food security as it is becoming extremely expensive to grow a crop, and so the likelihood of a lot of farmers around the world reducing the acres of production is very high. Currently, a bag of fertiliser ...

The Ghana Cocoa Board, COCOBOD, is predicting fertilizer shortage for cocoa farmers in the coming years. Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD, Joseph Boahene Aidoo, attributed the impact of COVID-19 and the current Russia-Ukraine war as reasons for the potential shortage. Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus are the three countries that produce the base elements for fertilizer production. And with the war there, it means that, we cannot get the base elements to produce the fertilizer not only for Ghana but the world. It is going to be difficult so if that base element cannot be obtained, it means there is going to be a shortage. So we must all brace ourselves that come next year, fertilizer is not going to be there. Even if there is, it is going to be limited.” He was speaking during the inauguration of three Management Committees including the Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG), the Seed Production Division (SPD), and the Cocoa Health and Extension Division. Boahene says even though measu...

  The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has declared war on illegal logging and chainsaw operations in forest reserves across the country. Consequently, a team of security persons, forest guards and rangers are to be deployed to forest reserves to flush out illegal operators. The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources in charge of Lands and Forestry, Benito Owusu-Bio, said those who would be arrested would be made to face the law squarely. We are going to implement strategies, including storming all places where these illegal loggers and chainsaw operators hide. We will burn all equipment if we have to, just to ensure that we halt their operations," he added. Fact-finding Owusu-Bio made the declaration when he led a fact-finding team from the ministry and the Forestry Commission to ascertain the veracity of a surge in illegal logging in a forest reserve in Sefwi Wiawso in the Western North Region last Friday. The forest reserve covers 8,442 hectares, with a total per...