Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, on 27th April 2022, welcomed a delegation from the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) to The Ministry Of Food And Agriculture Ghana.
PFAG is registered as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) with the mandate to advocate for pro-poor agriculture and trade policies amidst other issues affecting the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.
The National President of PFAG expressed his gratitude for my ability to meet the team. He also introduced the team and gave an insight into the Association and its structure. He juxtaposed the government’s flagship programme Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) to my interest in their welfare as peasant farmers and indicated that their purpose that afternoon was to engage the ministry on matters affecting the farmers.
The Executive Director of the group outlined the difficulties smallholder farmers face in light of the start of the farming season in some parts of the country. He added that these issues, both exogenous and local needed to be resolved to enable the farmers to perform their duties in the midst of the current global economic crisis. The issues mainly dealt with credit facilities, access to inputs, distribution and partnerships with investors that are ready to supply these inputs especially improved seeds and fertilizers.
Despite the issues raised, he acknowledged PFJ, denoting that it offers a new dispensation for the farmers and the Agricultural sector. He added that the innovation has brought transformation to smallholder Agriculture while improving the livelihood of peasant farmers. He also made it known that an increase in the resources will ensure food security and income for farmers.
In response to their concerns, Dr. Akoto highlighted the various measures the government through the Ministry has put in place to avert the issues. One immediate resolution is the collaboration of the Ministry with waste management facilities to convert compost into organic fertilizers. We are increasing organic contracts to have more companies on board to supply the fertilizers and meet the needs of the farmers. We have also introduced equipment like drones for liquid fertilizer application. He further posited that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture is working tirelessly to sustain the innovative policies that have transformed the sector in the past five years.
