President John Dramani Mahama has acknowledged the United States Government's decision to lift tariffs on a range of agricultural products imported from Ghana. The tariffs had applied to avocados, oranges, peppers, onions, and yams. With the removal of these duties, these exports will now enter the U.S. market at zero tariff.
Speaking at the 41st Farmers Day Celebration in Ho in the Volta Region, President Mahama stated that "we don't pay any tariff. Our current volume of trade with the U.S. in agricultural products is about US$100 million, but we can significantly raise this because of the opportunity they're giving us." He encouraged producers to review the list of Ghanaian commodities approved for export to the United States and expand production to meet export demand.
Mahama said agriculture remained a viable income source. He noted that he continues to farm while serving as President and urged government officials to establish their own production units. He advised that "if you do 10 or 20 acres of oil palm, you will be surprised that it will give you more money than the salary you take every year." The conversion equals about 4.05 to 8.09 hectares.
He added that investment in agriculture enables growers to supplement their incomes.
Source: My Joy Online
