The Kumasi Metropolis is pursuing greenhouse cropping technology to make the most out of its limited agro landmass, following the rapid urbanisation.

“The introduction of greenhouse cropping technology gives us a window of opportunity to explore agriculture even in our urban environment,” Mr Samuel Pyne, the Mayor stated.

Greenhouse farming is the production of crops within, under or sheltered by structures to provide modified growing conditions and protection from pests, diseases and adverse weather.

Currently, most farmlands in the city, which, hitherto, boasted of a large vegetation cover, culminating in its accolade as the ‘Garden City of West Africa’, have been encroached for development purposes in the wake of population growth.

The development has greatly affected urban farming in all its forms, the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture said.

Mr Pyne, who was addressing the first ordinary meeting of the third session of the Eight Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), at the Prempeh Assembly Hall, said the authorities were determined to change the narrative.

He said the Assembly had as such been liaising with institutions such as the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Youth in Greenhouse Enterprise Project and Dizengoff Ghana to realise the city’s vision.

The collaboration is to find out what regulatory frameworks needed to be put in place in pursuit of greenhouse cropping technology.

“Fortunately for us, entrepreneurship is not foreign to Kumasi, and we are confident that we can attract the business community to invest in this modern and environmentally-friendly form of agriculture,” the Mayor stated.

Mr Pyne said agriculture provided lots of opportunities for the people to make meaningful incomes and livelihood, therefore, the KMA would continue to explore avenues to make the sector more attractive to the people.