The Food Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), says it is supporting Ghanaian farmers in the production of some crops to encourage their consumption with the sole aim of boosting people’s immune system.
According to the Health Nutritionist with the Institute, Dr. Jolene Mateko Nyako, there has been an increase in the consumption of local agricultural produce especially with the outbreak of COVID-19.
She told Citi Business News support for farmers is critical to achieving the objective of boosting people’s immune systems while ensuring food security.
“We are trying to incorporate some of our indigenous lost underutilized crops like the yellow corn, yellow yam and ‘afase’ because they are no longer being eaten in the volumes that they used to be. But they are highly nutritious and have the key nutrients that we need as we fight COVID-19. So, if we are promoting our indigenous foods now, post COVID we need to keep these nutritious patterns that we have picked on to help our local economy and also support the farmers,” she said.
Following the economic impact caused by the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus, global supply chains have been disrupted whiles food security is being threatened.
Due to Coronavirus-induced measures such as the social distancing protocol, farmers who hitherto engaged large groups of labourers to work on their farms have been compelled to reduce the numbers, thereby affecting production.
But the gradual easing of the restrictions has led to a steady pick up in the production levels of farmers.
We are committed to sustaining food security amidst COVID-19 – CSIR
Already, the CSIR, has also stated that it is collaborating with allied institutions to improve food processing to ensure food security and boost revenue and economic development amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
