Smallholder farmers across the country have hailed the movement taken by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to deliver 1,000 mini Planters and Solar Powered Rice Mills for smallholder farmers across the country.
The farmers said lack of Planters and other equipment have stalled their efforts to upscale production to meet the high demand from the local and international markets.
“Efforts to secure funding from local sources to scale up our activities within the agriculture value chain were fraught with several bottlenecks, eventually proving futile,” they said.
The President of Vegetable Producers and Export Association of Ghana (VPEAG) and the Managing Director of Maphlix Trust Farms Limited, Mr. Felix Mawuli Kamassah said small-scale farmers are unable to purchase mini Planters and Rice Miller, this is welcoming news to them but was quick to ask the following questions; What modalities will be used to distribute the Planters?, Will the Planters be given on credit-based?, Why is MOFA not involving farmers Associations leaders in the distribution?; I want answers. In an interview with the reporter on Ghana’s agricultural sector, he uttered the challenges smallholder farmers are facing and how policymakers are responding to them.
The President indicated that opportunities like this mostly do not benefit the smallholder farmer.
“These Planters and Rice Millers will be given to some people who are not into farming; they keep them and later sell them to us at high prices. I am speaking out of experience; that is the practice in this country” he pointed out.
The President urged the minister to keep an eye on the distribution of these types of equipment.
Mr. Alhassan, a rice farmer in the Northern Region said that agriculture plays a pivotal role in promoting growth and poverty reduction in the economy of Ghana. At this stage of our development, Ghana needs an agricultural revolution which must be now.
According to him, due to production constraints, such as land tenure problems, absence of water control system, and low profitability, farming is becoming unattractive; we feel it’s time-wasting especially we the smallholder farmers.
“Rice is by every account an important crop in the Ghanaian staple diet and its availability throughout the year is of great importance,” Alhassan said.
The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto during his 6-day tour to Ashanti, Eastern, Bono, and Bono East regions interacted with the farmers and revealed that his ministry has taken delivery of 1,000 mini planters and shellers from the Czech Republic and hope to share them to the farmers very soon.
The Minister said that modalities are being designed considering that the facility has to be repaid and its importance strategized.
“Solar Powered Rice Mills are being experimented in four places, the government intends to import more to support farmers if successful; meanwhile, a deal with Indian, Brazilian and Chinese governments will see a lot of these types of equipment coming in by the end of the year” he added.
The Minister pointed out that his 6-day tour to the Ashanti, Eastern, Bono, and Bono East regions to interact with farmers also revealed to him that Ghanaians are really interested in farming and activities within the Agriculture Value Chain.
“Bankers and Lecturers have invested heavily in Rice and Poultry farming across the country; because the sector looks lucrative, they are sponsoring out-growers across communities and for me, this is good news for us as a country,” he said.
Story by: Reuben Quainoo.
