School of Agriculture and Technology
Introduction
The School of Agriculture and Technology was established in the 2014/2015 academic year at the Dormaa Ahenkro Campus of UENR. The contribution of agriculture to the country’s economic growth continues to be significant, despite Ghana’s oil find and the impact of climate change. The promotion of productivity growth in agriculture, sustainable management of land and the environment and the application of science and technology in food and agricultural development is crucial for Ghana’s economy. The School of Agriculture and Technology is poised to provide a strong and vibrant leadership to the agricultural industry to meet the increasing demand for food, raw materials for industry and agricultural commodities for export. This will require an intimate knowledge of climate, soil, species, infrastructure, political, social and legal systems. Issues of interest include: the increased demand for agricultural produce for local consumption and export; land availability for commercial agriculture and natural resource conservation; sustainable agricultural production; postharvest management, agriculture and climate change and agriculture and oil-driven ‘Dutch Disease’. The School will provide instruction, research and outreach to address these critical issues. Research at the School will be need-based with strong community and industry inputs and integrated with natural resource management.
The School of Agriculture and Technology seeks to bring a paradigm shift in teaching, research and outreach in agriculture to promote performance, modernization, efficiency and competitiveness of the agricultural sector. The strategy is to bring science, technology, economics and human values to the social, economic and technical processes involved in the production and transformation of raw materials originating through agriculture, livestock and forestry to adapt them for consumption and the markets. To feed the nation and promote the inherent strengths of agriculture in a national economy requires more efficient operating systems, new technologies, and increased levels of partnership to meet household, national and global food security. The School of Agriculture and Technology is poised to contribute to this through its academic and research programmes. Areas of specializations in our Bachelor of Science in agriculture programme include: Agribusiness, animal production, crop production, horticulture and mechanization. The programmes will provide graduates with a working knowledge of a broad span of agriculture and introduce them to the critical relationships between agricultural activities and the environment. The programmes will also assist students in developing the core skills in job creation and employment-related experiences and skills that are valued by employers, professional organizations and academic institutions. Products from the School of Agriculture and Technology will be equipped with skills that will foster their contribution to agribusiness and national economy.
Philosophy
Using a strong partnership approach, prepare future leaders who would provide solutions to agricultural problems not only in Ghana but also Africa and beyond and venture into practical agriculture as a business with innovation and technology to promote value addition. We will produce graduates
- That possess strong managerial and entrepreneurial skills capable of identifying new opportunities
- Committed to a new vision of agricultural production compatible with the natural environment and biodiversity conservation
- That will generate and select appropriate technologies in processing, storage and value addition in accordance with available resources.
Departments
When full established the School will have four key academic departments and a centre. These are:
- Department of Animal Production and Health
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness and Extension
- Department of Horticulture and Crop Production
- Department Food Science and Technology
Currently only the first three departments named above are operational.