By Kiki TAGOE
More than 30 people from four countries have benefitted from training on neem derived bio-pesticides.
According to a statement released last Wednesday by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the participants were from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, India, and Ghana including private sector representatives, experts on neem bio-pesticide processing, academia, and other neem project stakeholders.
UNIDO in partnership with the High Commission of India in Accra and the involvement of UNIDO South-South Industrial Cooperation (UCSSIC), held the regional workshop on the theme “promotion of neem derived bio-pesticides in West Africa” at the University of Ghana, Legon.
UNIDO has in place a Neem Bio-Pesticide programme that is designed to promote the use of neem and development of production capacity of eco-friendly and cost-effective pesticide derived from neem kernels in West Africa.
In Ghana, the project is implemented by UNIDO, in collaboration with the University of Ghana and Tropical Agriculture Marketing & Consultancy Services targeted at establishing and managing a Neem Centre with a prototype/pilot machinery for the processing and production of neem based pesticide.
The project has developed the capacity of the managers and staff of the Neem Centre in Accra to train trainers, seed collectors, farmers, village women, extension officers and workers for proper collection of neem kernels including depulping, drying and storage.
The centre also undertakes scientific field trials, studies, bio-efficacy data generation and technical guidance.
At the regional workshop, Mr Fakhruddin Aziz, UNIDO Country Representative stated: “we at UNIDO are strongly determined to spare no efforts to work with you to facilitate and support your agendas so that we ensure best possible outcome – for people, for our planet and for our common future”.
He added, “No progress on poverty eradication will be lasting if economic growth is not achieved within an environmentally – sustainable framework. It is a stark reality we cannot escape and therefore we widely recognize the vital role that South-South cooperation plays in this development process.”
Mr Birneder Singh, High Commissioner of India to Ghana and Mr Fakhruddin Azizi also inaugurated a neem facility for processing neem pesticides at the Livestock and Poultry Research Centre (LIPREC), Legon.
UNIDO is an agency of the United Nations whose directive is to promote and expand development in developing countries and work towards improving living conditions in the poorest countries by drawing on its combined global resources and expertise.
