The National Democratic Congress (NDC), spokesperson on Agriculture and Director of Interparty & CSO Relations, Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor, has noted that the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia-led government does not prioritize farmers, as it has neglected and disregarded farmers in the country.
He stated that after eight years of promises from the NPP government, farmers remain largely forgotten, neglected, and overlooked.
“The administration that promised to empower farmers has instead left many in a worse position than before”. He said
He indicated that Farmers across the nation have faced rising costs of inputs, low quality and inadequate supply of inputs, garnished with lack of Agro-technical support.
He stated that farmershave been forgotten and the farmers’ Day celebration felt bittersweet and perhaps a little hollow to farmers.
Incidentally, to make matters worse, the 40th anniversary Farmers Day celebration did not receive the usual recognition and the razzmatazz it comes with.
Rather, it promised to be the worse celebration ever to be organized, as district and regional celebrations are suspended and few government officials gathered in Accra, at Alisa Hotel to meet potential awardees to celebrate what appears to be a grand failure of the agriculture sector.
“How the celebration of farmers ended up in hotel still remains a mystery to farmers?” Dr Boamah Otokunor questioned.
He stated that in the run-up to the 2016 elections, the NPP made bold pledges to revitalize the agricultural sector, promising everything, from financial assistance and subsidized inputs, to mechanization and enhanced infrastructure.
Programs like the much-hyped “Planting for Food and Jobs” (PFJ) initiative promised to transform agriculture, to provide jobs, and to reduce Ghana’s reliance on imported food.
But, what was pitched as a comprehensive solution has turned out to be, in many ways, a half-hearted Band-Aid.
The program suffered from inadequate planning, limited reach, and, most damningly, widespread corruption.
Furthermore, another much-publicized NPP initiative, the “One Village, One Dam” policy, which was intended to provide a reliable and sustainable plant water supply, to support all year-round farming in Northern Ghana, became a hoax and a grand scam.
As countless frustrated farmers and the general populace can attest, these “dams” were often shallow pits that dried up by the middle of the dry season, offering little respite for communities in dire need of irrigation support.
The NDC spokesperson on Agriculture said, “In a region where drought is a recurring threat, these failed dams represent not just a misstep in policy and a financial loss to the state, but more importantly a betrayal of the very communities that needed the support the most”.
“What’s worse is the impact on rural farmers who live without access to even the most basic agricultural infrastructure. Roads to market remain unpaved and impassable during rainy seasons, resulting in massive post-harvest losses. Extension services, vital to training farmers in best practices and new technology—are woefully underfunded, leaving countless farmers without the support needed to increase yields sustainably”. Dr Otokunor said.
Dr Boamah Otokunor affirmed that farmers are the unsung heroes of the country’s economy, holding the line on food security and even helping to shape the country’s identity on the international stage, as a major exporter of cocoa and cashew.
Ghana’s agricultural sector contributes about 20% of the national GDP, and approximately 54% of the country’s workforce is engaged in agriculture.
Food production in Ghana ensures not only local food security but also international trade needs, as the country’s cocoa, cashew, and oil palm products feed into global markets.
Cocoa alone accounts for nearly 15% of Ghana’s total exports, employing hundreds of thousands and bringing in over $2 billion annually.
He stated that in the face of these failures by the government, to improve agriculture in the country, farmers have continued to toil with courage.
Despite rising cost of seeds, agro-chemicals and fertilizer, coupled with lack of access to Agro-credits and inadequate storage facilities, the Ghanaian farmers remain resilient, unrelenting and resourceful.
They continue to grow food, even when it seems the world has forgotten them. Their resilience is a testament to the Ghanaian spirit and culture that honors the land and its bounty, but same cannot be said of the Bawumia/Akufo Addo government, that has democratized state sponsored degradation of agricultural lands through galamsey.
Dr Boamah Otokumor further said, “But resilience alone is not enough. Ghana’s farmers need action, real, tangible support that goes beyond empty political promises”.
They need policies that work, leadership that listens, and accountable leadership at every level of government.
“If Ghana is to fulfill its agricultural potential and economic transformation agenda, we must first recognize the hardships our farmers endure and then enact reforms to truly empower them”.
“To make meaningful progress, we must start by reforming the very programs that have failed our farmers”.
First, any new agricultural policy must prioritize transparency and accountability, ensuring that funds and subsidies are directed properly and reach the farmers they’re intended for.
He again reiterated that an independent oversight body like the Governance Advisory Board proposed by John Dramani Mahama, could monitor funds allocated to agricultural programs, making sure every cedi is accounted for.
Investment in irrigation infrastructure, true irrigation, not shallow dams, is critical to ensuring farmers can cultivate all year-round.
Similarly, enhanced extension services are essential; farmers need access to training, best practices, and sustainable farming techniques that increase yields without degrading the land.
In addition, access to finance must be improved, especially for young farmers and women. Micro-credits, low-interest credit facilities, and cooperative banking models could help provide the capital that smallholder farmers need.
Finally, building and maintaining rural roads should be a national priority; facilitating easier access to markets, reducing cost of food transport and reducing post-harvest losses.
Meanwhile, the NDC spokesperson for Agriculture has affirmed the party’s commitment to making the agriculture sector thrive.
He said this at a forum organized under the auspices of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, with support from STAR Ghana, under the Social Accountability in agricultural policy framework, in partnership with civil society organizations (CSOs) and other farmer organizations; a Political Parties Accountability Forum on Agriculture, which was held on Thursday, November 21, 2024, at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel, Accra.
He indicated that “As you may be aware, the NDC, knowing the importance of farmers and all other stakeholders, has set up a department that leads the relations of identifiable groups and so on”.
“So it’s our principle and our policy that moving forward, our implementation of the Resetting Ghana manifesto will be done in direct partnership with you (Farmers). And the PFAG is a significant part of the partners we (NDC) are going to leverage to implement our agricultural for economic transformation agenda.”
“We want to drive development in this country with agriculture, and we believe agriculture is the only sector that, when it grows, impacts both industry and the service sector. So we are going to put all our energies into this sector, to make sure agriculture works, food is available, the farmer becomes profitable, and the farmer is able to take care of himself and his family. Then we are also able to take care of the economy, build our economy, solidify our currency, and be able to compete on the global stage,” Dr Otokunor further explained.
He highlighted major policies from the NDC manifesto on agriculture that the party will implement when voted into power.
He affirmed that the NDC policy, dubbed agriculture for economic transformation, encompasses food availability, food affordability, food accessibility, and utilization of food.
He further noted that convenience is also another factor considered, which is where agro-processing comes in.
He reiterated that the NDC has farmers at heart and urged that coming December 7, all farmers should support the National Democratic Congress, so they can win the elections and offer farmers, what is stated in their manifesto.
