The Government Ghana,   as part of Government's effort to enhance employment opportunities and agricultural development has signed a Memorandum Of Understanding(MOU)  with  South Korean firm to establish agricultural co-ops the country.

The Memorandum  Of Understanding will see South Korea committing $6 million to boost agricultural production and marketing, poultry and livestock, fishing and food processing  for the next four years.

The initiative which was proposed in 2014 by the  Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations and the  Ministry of Food and Agriculture will also boost trade  relationship between the two countries.

In July, a 14-member Ghanaian delegation visited Hansalim Cooperative Federation, a farmer-based co-operative in south of Seoul, in preparation for the deal.

The two ministries in may this year signed the memorandum of  understanding  with Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica) with their project managers expected in Ghan  in September to work with their local counterparts

The project will be implemented in the northern, upper east and upper west regions of Ghana on a pilot basis.

The director of Hanslim ,Cho Wan-hyung, giving an overview of the  project  said:

"from the experience of the federation, there was the need for policy makers in the agriculture sector to develop  the sector."

It was also important for managers of the sector to ensure food self sufficiency."

The two countries are now establishing a joint implementation body, and a new cooperative bill is expected to be passed to provide an effective institutional framework.

Ghana's is home to 2,000 registered agricultural, industrial, financial and service co-operatives.

The countries agriculture accounts for roughly one-quarter of GDP and employs more than half of the workforce.

By ABDUL MALIK/ghanaguardian.com