CropLife Ghana, in collaboration with CropLife Africa Middle East (CLAME), is in the process of developing short, medium and long term strategies to serve as a blueprint to fight against pesticides counterfeiting.
The blueprint will promote public-private-partnerships and create synergies for a sustainable Anti-counterfeiting programme in Ghana.
The two organisations working to curb the menace in Ghana seek to adopt an all-inclusive approach in the fight against counterfeiting of crop protection products.
Mr Peter Ampofo, the President of CropLife Ghana, made this known at a Stakeholders’ Forum on “Developing a Sustainable Strategy to combat the illegal Trade of Pesticides in Ghana.”
He said the illegal trade of pesticides was a growing concern for all industries including the plant science industry.
He said the illegality had a range of negative effects on farmers, manufacturers, national economies, and the environment.
The President said the harm caused by counterfeit and other illegal pesticides include health and incomes of the farming communities, the environment, and the elimination of incentives for the plant science industry to invest in innovation that helps assure food security.
He called on the government to institute measures that would mitigate the importation of these counterfeit and illegal pesticides from coming into the country and have measures that would prosecute perpetrators.
Dr Samira Amellal, the Director-General, CLAME, said, “we are convinced that the professional and responsible use of these products improve the incomes and livelihoods of farmers and their families.”
She said counterfeiting had the potential to contribute decisively to the growth of rural and national economies.
She said these illicit products posed serious harm to farmers, crops and the environment as their contents were unknown, untested, and Unregulated.
The Director-General expressed the hope that industry players would be able to synergize efforts in working towards a common good, a safe agro chemical industry, sustainable agriculture, and increased food security.
Mr Eric Quaye, the Deputy Director, Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Division (PPRSD) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, said the Division recognised the critical role CropLife Ghana played in coordinating product stewardship efforts of CropLife members.
He said the critical role contributed immensely to the development and promotion of the pesticides and fertilizer value chains within Ghana’s agricultural landscape.
He said the stakeholder sensitization, awareness creation and capacity building activities undertaken by CropLife over the years were some of the commendable interventions that kept driving sustainability management of pesticides and fertilizers among stakeholders.
“It is important to note that, the activities of CropLife Ghana complement the enforcement and compliance drives of the regulators of the pesticides and fertilizers industries,” he added.