The General Agricultural Workers Union is warning of abject poverty in farming communities up north.
According to the General Secretary, Edward Kareweh, his outfit’s investigations in some rural areas up north indicates that the unavailability of fertilisers and other farm inputs like seeds and equipment are likely to hamper the expected produce to be harvested.
To this development, Edward Kareweh, warns if the situation is not addressed immediately it could spell doom for the country’s food security.
His comment follows assertions by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto that a ¢2.6 billion investment made by the government into the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ Programme has yielded expected results.
Speaking to Joy Business, Edward Kareweh, pointed out that the statement by the Minister is not the reality on the grounds as there seems to be a looming danger ahead.
“I am on the field, I am taking a tour of the three Northern Regions because as I consider them so. I have gone to the rural areas and am telling you that there is going to be abject poverty in 2023 because there is a lack of inputs”.
“You know, no fertiliser the inputs he’s talking about that is seed and fertiliser. I have gone to the villages and I am now in the Upper East Region, I have finished with the Northern Region not only in the cities but in the rural areas”, he added.
He expressed worry “we are not also relying on figures only. Look, you go on the grounds and see people’s lives are at stake. You know it has to do with lives, if you have 50,000 of your people who are starving of poverty of food, you must be concerned about that and that is the reality on the ground”.
