Celebrating 70 years of academic excellence and architectural uniqueness, the Faculty of Agriculture of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR), commemorated its 70th anniversary with a launch held at the Great Hall of the University. Spanning from the 13th to 15th February 2024, the anniversary celebration was under the theme: "Celebrating 70 Years of KNUST’s Global Impact in Agriculture."
Speaking at the launch of the celebration, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson, noted that Agriculture has been the bedrock of the national economy, including that of many African and developing countries across the world. Educational institutions, including KNUST, have, in diverse ways, contributed to building resilience in our food systems and the supply of quality raw materials for industry and companies such as those under the One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative of the Government of Ghana.
She lauded all the stakeholders who have worked tirelessly in partnership with the Faculty towards shaping the economic path of Ghana through agriculture, producing quality agricultural manpower, and raising a cadre core of ambassadors who are positively impacting society in diverse ways.
Despite the successes, the Provost of the CANR, Professor Ben Branoh Banful, stated that the future presents new challenges in the areas of climate change, soil degradation, water scarcity, and global pandemics. According to him, these pose greater threats to global food systems and livelihoods. He, therefore, called on the Faculty of Agriculture to leverage their research to proffer solutions.
The Dean of the Faculty, Professor Enoch Agyei Osekre, appealed to the private sector, alumni of the Faculty, and public-spirited organisations to come to the aid the Faculty to expand its facilities, especially lecture halls and the Faculty’s library to meet the needs of its students. In addition to the expansion of the lecture halls and the upgrading of the library, he said the Faculty intends to build a legacy project as part of the activities to mark its 70th anniversary. The project, he said, is estimated to cost about Thirty-Three Million Ghana Cedis (GHȻ33,000,000) and called on corporate entities to help the Faculty and the University as a whole to achieve its aim. He said organisations could adopt aspects of the project and have them named after them.
The Former Minister of Food and Agriculture of the Republic of Ghana, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, commended the Faculty for its enormous contribution to agricultural development in Ghana. “The role of academic institutions such as the Faculty of Agriculture at KNUST is very crucial, and in this respect, the Faculty is doing well in its activities. It has made significant contributions in all strategic areas: human resource development, crop, and livestock research, organising farmer groups, and collaborating with national and international institutions in agriculture development,” he said. Those interventions, he noted, have achieved results that calls for celebration, especially on the 70th anniversary of the Faculty.
Dr. Akoto emphasised the significance of Agriculture in lifting Ghana out of poverty, stating that it does not only ensures food security but also generates resources for overall economic development. He highlighted the underperformance of sectors like Mining, Oil, and Gas in contrast to Agriculture. Dr. Akoto proposed establishing an Agricultural Management Team (AMT) under the President's leadership, supplementing the existing Economic Management Team chaired by the Vice-President, to prioritise the Agricultural Sector for socio-economic advancement. Also at the launch, some distinguished personalities were awarded for their contribution and impact on the Faculty, as well as the long-serving staff of the Faculty.
Amid the 70th anniversary celebration, a quiz competition was held among the various Departments in the Faculty. The Department of Agriculture emerged as the winner, with the Department of Agriculture Biotechnology securing second place, followed by the Department of Landscape Management and the Department of Agribusiness in third and fourth places respectively. Also, the celebration featured anniversary games, an informal Agri-Fair, and Poster Presentations.