The Ministry of Food and Agriculture, says the Procurement Authority granted the request of the Ministry, to use Single Source Procurement Method, to procure insecticides for the armyworm eradication.
Responding to a question asked by the Member of Parliament for Ashiama, Hon. Ernest Henry Norgbey on the procurement method used in procuring the insecticides for the armyworm eradication, on the floor of Parliament, the Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Sagre Bambangi, said the Ministry in March this year received reports of the fall armyworm outbreaks throughout the country.
He stated that considering the urgency of the situation and the impact on food security and farmers, the Minister submitted a memorandum to the Cabinet for support, to fund the management activities including the procurement of insecticides. He added that the Cabinet approved the budget for the management of the armyworm throughout the country.
He also said the Ministry collaborated with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI) for the recommended insecticides registered in Ghana, and also registered for the control of the fall armyworm in Brazil, USA and other African countries.
The Deputy Minister indicated that on receipt of the recommendations from the FAO and CABI, the Minister invited all the companies that had registered the recommended insecticides with the Environmental Protection Agency to a meeting and appealed to them to supply on credit.
He added that in all, 12 agro chemical companies comprising seven companies were present at the meeting, and five others, which could not attend the meeting due to a short notice of invitation. He said they agreed and supplied the insecticides they had in stock to the Ministry, to undertake the control exercise.
He also said the Ministry having secured the above facility from the companies requested for a retrospective approval from the Public Procurement Authority for emergency supply of insecticides to control the armyworm.
He added that the Public Procurement Authority granted the request of the use of Single Source Procurement Method, to engage various supplies to undertake the procurement of the insecticides in accordance with section 40(1)(c) of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663).
He revealed that over GH¢9 million has been spent on purchase of the insecticides, stating that the armyworm invasion in farms across the country has been generally controlled.
