Yara Ghana Limited, a leading name in the fertilizer industry in Ghana, has donated 200,000 Ghana cedis to the COVID-19 National Trust Fund as part of its support to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
The West Africa Regional Director for Yara International, Mr Danquah Addo-Yobo, made the presentation on behalf of Yara Ghana at a ceremony at the office of the COVID-19 Trust Fund in Accra.
Mr Addo-Yobo said Yara Ghana has been a partner in the country's development, especially in the agricultural space for several years and that the donation formed part of the company's continuous partnership and support, especially during this Covid-19 pandemic.
He described Yara Ghana as a strategic partner in the agricultural space in the country that aside the donation, has put in place measures to ensure that farmers had access to its quality fertilizers when and wherever they needed it.
This is to ensure continuity in food production to ensure food security for the country during this period of the pandemic.
"Yara Ghana has in place a business continuity plan that has enabled us in the midst of this pandemic to make available our fertilizers and other crop nutrition solutions throughout the distribution chain to farmers across the country whilst adhering to strict safety standards and protocols," he said.
"The farmers need to apply fertilizers at specific times and our products are in the market in time for the season to help ensure the country's food security."
Receiving the donation on behalf of the Fund, former Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo and chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the COVID-19 Trust Fund expressed gratitude to Yara Ghana for exhibiting good corporate citizenship, and commended the company for its work in the agricultural value chain.
The Trust Fund was set up by an Act of Parliament, the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) National Trust Fund Bill, 2020 to receive and manage contributions and donations from well-meaning individuals, groups and corporate bodies.
Beneficiaries of the Fund would be frontline and volunteers engaged in the combat of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the vulnerable and the needy affected by the pandemic.
The West Africa Regional Chief Finance Officer for Yara, Mr Kudjoe Agbenyega, the Marketing Officer of Yara Ghana, Mr Kwame Okyere and Dr Ernest Ofori Sarpong, a member of the board of trustees of the COVID-19 National Trust Fund, witnessed the presentation.
Ghana's COVID-19 cases increased by 183 to 5,918 on Tuesday, with two more fatalities, raising the death toll to 31 since the virus broke out on March 12 in the country.
The number of recoveries also jumped to 1,754 amidst calls on the public to continue observing preventive protocols such as social distancing, wearing of masks and regular hand-washing with soap under running water.
Since the coronavirus outbreak, the government has taken a raft of measures to mitigate its social and economic impact in the country, that included the establishment of a COVID-19 Fund to receive contributions and donations from the public to assist in the welfare of the needy and the vulnerable.