A centre for skill development aimed at equipping individuals with the necessary technological skill in the Agriculture sector is set to be opened and operated by the McHammah Engineering Company Limited (MECL).

Dubbed the “African Centre for Agriculture Mechanisation and Foods Processing Technology”, the facility would among others, train students in equipment designing and manufacturing, from simple tools to sophisticated workable machinery.

The move, according to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MECL, Ing. Ebenezer Hammah who was speaking in an interview with the Ghanaian Times in Accra, formed part of efforts by his outfit to use indigenous and appropriate technology in irrigation and other farm practices as the basis of its training to promote food security and make agriculture attractive to the youth and also increase awareness about the possibility of using technology to tremendously increase agricultural yields.

He revealed that the Centre, which is situated at Gomoa-Akraman in the Gomoa-East District of the Central Region would also focus on educating farmers on how to use agriculture machinery to boost yields and reduce post-harvest loses by 20 to 40 per cent.

He said his outfit is already offering opportunities for persons interested in getting trained in fabrication, mechatronics, electrical electronics, machine design and machine operation and basic robotics engineering among others.

Already, several individuals had benefitted from free training sessions, adding that “It is time to equip ourselves and embrace mechanized farming to boost yields in agriculture and also make the sector attractive to the youth.

“The youth should venture into agriculture to create wealth for themselves because it is possible to practice modern-day agriculture and become very wealthy,” he added.

Touching on some of the achievements of MECL, Ing. Hammah said part of the biggest food processing plant in West Africa owned by Premium Foods and located in Kumasi was built by his outfit.

In furtherance he mentioned that to streamline and enhance the activities of fabricators in Ghana, he created the Equipment Designers and Fabrication Association of Ghana (EDFAG) where he acted as president of the association.

He, therefore, called on young inventors and individuals passionate about engineering to join the association.

Ing Hammah expressed gratitude to various companies, corporation and individuals that have believed and worked with his outfit over the years and to organisations who had recognised the contribution of MECL to the development of the agriculture sector of the country by honouring them with various awards over the years and called on other agencies including government to emulate the step and offer some form of motivation to companies like his.

He also expressed his gratitude for the various support MECL had received from agencies like the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the World Food Programme (WFP).