CHURCH PROMOTES PATRONAGE OF MADE-IN GHANA GOODS. PUBLISH DECEMBER 18TH 2007....METRO PAGE GRAPHIC PAGE 29

Rose Hayford Darko , Tema

The Tema Diocese of the Methodist Church Ghana has initiated a program to educate members of the need to patronize made in Ghana products as a means to contribute to the boosting of the trade and local industry .

Dubbed a ‘Trade Week Seminar’ members were treated to topics on ‘Global Trade in Food and its impact on poor economics ; Trade Justice and the Right to Food ; and International Trade and Free Trade Liberation .

A Circuit Minister of the Tema Diocese Very Rev. Comfort Ruth Quartey - Papafio who spoke on the Trade Justice and Right to Food called on the government to initiate policies and taxations that would provide an income base for access to food security .

Very Rev. Quartey -Papafio was of the view that Ghanaians could be taxed adequately and the monies used wisely to subsidize the cost of farming in the country to make agriculture appreciative .

She said Ghanaians must not be proud of food aid but have the vision to prevent trade injustices by producing to meet the demand of the market to build a strong data base for the economy .

Very Rev. Quartey –Papafio noted that trade was one of the key elements to determine sufficiency of food but observed that the current pricing pressure had made farmers to suffer most and appealed for a review of the system to make pricing attractive to the consumer .

She explained that this system could push imported goods and food out of business .

Very Rev. Quartey said Ghanaians would be helping themselves if they patronized the locally produced food like the local rice and chicken instead of the ‘perfumed rice’ which had lost its real nutritious value.

She therefore called on Ghanaians to sacrifice to use made in Ghana goods and boycott the many poor quality goods which have been put on the market .

The Presiding Bishop of the Church Rt Rev . Samuel Archamfuor in his presentation outlined that there were some reasons why farmers in the country had not been able to make their mark .

He noted that the rich had taken advantage of the poor citing examples during bumper harvests when fish and food alike were purchased at very low prices because their produce had no value added and had no storage facilities for their produce .

Rt Rev Archamfuor commented that the poor however had to purchase their needs at very exorbitant prices and most times had to live on loans .

He observed that this trend could be found on the world market when Ghanaian farmers produced cocoa but prices were fixed for them .

Bishop Archamfuor related it to the bible that God wanted justice for all and therefore stated that it was immoral for some to close their markets while they expected other markets to be opened for them .

He prayed for rightness to be obtained in trade for mercy and justice to be done to the poor .

Other Speakers included Very Rev . Gaisie Amoah and Rev Patrick Kofie Amissah all of the Tema Diocese of the Methodist Church , Ghana .