Bawku (U/E), Sept. 21, GNA - A day's forum has been held at Bawku for farmers to sensitise them on the effects of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB) policies on their livelihood.

It was organised by Action Aid International-Ghana (AAIG) in collaboration with Bawku East Women Development Association (BEWDA). Forty participants, drawn from 20 communities in the Bawku Municipal, Garu-Tempane and Bawku West districts, attended the forum. Also in attendance were stakeholders in the agricultural sector including banks and research institutions.

Addressing the participants, a Senior Programmes officer of AAIG, Mr. Alhassan Suleimana, noted that the unfair trade policies of international bodies have contributed to the poverty status of developing economies.

He said the practice where some farmers in developed economies enjoy subsidies whilst their counterparts in the undeveloped economies do not, was a deliberate ploy to make less developed economies dumping grounds for their goods.

Mr Suleimana said this had led to low production and its resultant effects of unemployment and poverty being pervasive, especially in sub-Sahara Africa.

He called on international bodies to review trade policies as a matter of urgency, which were undermining the development of Africa. Mr. Nicholas Apokerah, a Senior Resource person of Trade Aid International, said due to the unfair trade policies, Ghana imported 800,000 tonnes of rice in spite of its readily available cheap labour and fertile soil.

He noted that in a liberalised trading environment where some farmers were being assisted to the disadvantage of others, the poor farmers could not have access into the developed economies. The imbalance in trade policies have, therefore, denied Africa its fair share of access into the markets of developed economies, earnings of foreign exchange and job creation that were needed to undertake development.

During an open forum, the farmers urged Ghanaians to change their craving for foreign goods to the consumption of domestic goods to boost production of local industries to sustain the economy for accelerated development. 21 Sept. 06