GAWU Calls For Establishment Of More Food Processing Factories
The General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) of Trade Union Congress (TUC) has called on the government to establish modern processing plants and factories to process agricultural products for local and international markets.
Mr Edward T. Kareweh, GAWU General Secretary told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Tema that such a major move would help solve post-harvest losses which is a challenge to farmers.
“One of the things with agriculture is that the products are bulky and perishable so you need to process it to expand its lifestyle, if you take tomatoes, you know that the raw tomatoes cannot stay for long unless you are able to can it,” he stated.
Mr Kareweh explained that processing perishable foods preserved it to be safe to be eaten beyond the harvest season and also create more employment for the youth to boost the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
He added that it was also a sure way of boosting the agricultural industry to match the increasing demand for both local consumption and exportation as well as preserving food for the citizens during unforeseen circumstances.
The GAWU Secretary said the lack of processing companies is hindering the growth of the agricultural sector as most of the farm products ended up getting spoiled.
“When you don’t have processing plant you realize that we don’t produce enough but when you do, you realize that the capacity of those processing plants in a day to a month, you may be struggling to even have enough of the foodstuffs to feed the industry,” he explained.
“It’s just like when you cook food and you don’t have a freezer to store it, how much can you eat? he quizzed.