The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Akoto Afriyie, in the Eastern Region, reiterated that there is no food shortage in the country.
He made this statement after his Deputy Minister, Yaw Frimpong Addo, addressed the media on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, in Techiman after a six-day tour in five regions of the country.
“There is no food shortage in Ghana as is being speculated, the food situation in the regions is enough evidence, however, we recognize that food is relatively expensive due to external factors.”
According to the minister, the high prices of food in Ghana are because of the high cost of imported chemicals and other factors, but the government is putting measures in place to help curb the high cost of food to lessen the burden on citizens.
He also urged farmers in the country to use more locally produced organic fertilizers as it will bring the cost of production down and stated that there are more local fertilizers on the market.
“We are encouraging farmers to switch to organic fertilizers produced locally to reduce the impact of fertilizer shortage on food production and urged the far west to switch quickly to the use of compost.”
Dr. Afriyie also stated that the government is putting measures in place to help farmers in Ghana obtain loans from financial firms to help improve their farming activities. He said that banks prefer giving loans to businessmen than farmers, and that is why farmers are unable to acquire a loan from financial institutions.
As part of the tour, Dr. Afriyie visited some private farms like the Legacy Crop Improvement Center (LCIC), a seed production hub at Otareso in the Akuapem North District, Ibu farms at Kwame Duodu, PINORA Limited, a fruit juice processing company in Asamankese, Sahmens Farms at Adeiso.
The minister and his team ended their tour at the Total Quality farms at Akim Krodua, Adeiso, in the Upper West Akim Municipality. The Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Diana Nartey, presented a citation to the minister for his immense contribution to the agriculture sector.
Eastern Regional Director of MOFA, Mr. Henry Crentsil, revealed that although there is a shortage of imported fertilizers and a high cost of production, food is abundant especially maize due to the adoption of improved seeds and other government interventions.
The minister stated that his visit to several farms in the regions during his tour suggested that the country has enough food stored and that Ghana has a healthy and robust agricultural system.