Adhere to Good Packaging Practices – Agric Officer to Traders

The District Agriculture Extension Officer for Bodi, Rev. Augustine Oppong-Boadi, has urged farmers and market women in the District, to endeavor to adhere to good packaging practices to enable them derive the required benefits from the packaging.

He noted that benefits from packaging are enormous and that if they adhere to the practice, it will go a long way to help them.

Rev. Oppong-Boadi gave this advice during a training programme for some selected female farmers and market women at Datano in the Juaboso District of the Western North Region (WNR) on Tuesday, August 25, 2020. The programme was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, on the theme “Packaging”. He charged the participants to endeavor to acquire knowledge for the benefit of society.

He described packaging as a process whereby an item meant for sale is well dressed and polished for preservation. He indicated that packaging should be attractive and be able to speak about itself to the customer.

He charged the participants, comprising Kenkey sellers, rice sellers, corn dough sellers, cooked food sellers among others, to use local raw materials, however, they should treat them hygienically.

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Why Packaging?

The officer underlined the need for packaging. He maintained that it is meant for the preservation of items for sale sold items should, therefore, be attractive and be able to communicate to customers. They should also able to meet customers’ needs. Packaging must also be self-protected, with the product maintaining its flavor for long. Packaged items must also be able to minimize spoilage and waste, protect shelve life, and prevent itself from theft, ie by keeping under key and lock.

Use local materials

Assisted by other officers Richard Kyere, District Vertinally Officer; Jones Atta Payin, District Crop Officer, and Alexander Ayena, Extension officer, they urged participants to make use of local materials in the preparation of their food items in particular albeit under hygienic conditions. They should also patronage local food items as corn, rice (in particular), and others. The held that local rice was stronger and richer than imported rice.

Beware of Foreign Rice

The Crop Officer, Atta Payin advised participants against the over patronage of foreign rice. According to him, his visit to China has thought him a great lesson on imported rice. He maintained that while there he realised that rice produced in china is graded into A. B. and C. he maintained that the grade A and B  which are richer are meant for the rich nations whiles grade C which is less nutritious is sent to poor African Countries. He contended that the local Ghanaians rice is far richer than the imported ones. He subsequently urged Ghanaian to patronize in Ghanaian local rice as it is also organic and devoid of chemicals

Why women

According to Mr. Kyere, they chose mainly women for this training programme to empower them because they hold the finances of the family. There was, therefore, the need to teach them how to improve upon the sold items

Observance of COVID-19 protocol

Meanwhile, there was strict observance of COVID-19 protocols especially, wearing of a nose mask and social distancing

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By S.O Ankamah, Sefwi Juaboso, WNR