2021 National Best Farmer calls on Govt. to to reduce prices of Fertilizer
Story by: Ishmael Barfi- Yendi
The Akuffo-Addo led government have been called upon to reduce the prices of fertilizers to enable farmers to purchase them for their farming activities.
This according to the overall best farmer for the just ended 2021 Farmers Day held in Cape Coast, the Central Regional Capital, Alhaji Mohammed Mashud will go a long way to improve the yields of farmers hence contribute to the country’s food stock.
Revealing that, there are many farmers in the northern sector of the country who cannot still afford the price even though the product has been subsidised.
2021 National Best Farmer calls on Govt. to to reduce prices of Fertilizer
Alhaji Mohammed Mashud made this passionate call during the annual working visit of the Agric Minister, Dr Akoto Owusu Afriyi’s of the northern sector to interact with farmers and also note their comments to enable the ministry work toward achieving growth in the sector.
Meanwhile, the farm manager of the Coudjoe Abimash, farm of the 2021 National Best farmer, Mr. Osman Abdulai pointed out that, through the Savannah Zone Agricultural Productivity Improvement Project (SAPID), technical advise were offered to the over 250 holder farmers to improve yield.
He attributed Alhaji Mashud national recognition to the combination of modern technology, application of chemicals such as fertilisers and others.
Food & Agric. Minister interact with farmers in the Northern Region.
The National Best Farmer farms consist of 2000 hectors of maize farms, 1500 hectors of soya beans farms, 5000 hectors of rice farms, poultry farms, cattle, fishery farms and processed rice and poultry meat for export.
Speaking to the media after his visit to the farms of the National Best Farmer, the Food & Agriculture Minister, Hon. Dr Afriyie explained that, both SAPID and Savannah Investment Programme (SIP) are just between two to three years old since its introduction to farmers but have begin to double productions.
He further stated that, when the programme reached it peak, Ghana would fully reap it full benefit especially farmers in the Northern sector of the country.
2021 National Best Farmer calls on Govt. to to reduce prices of Fertilizer
These policies been implemented by the New Patriotic Party led-government according to Dr Afriyie has the potential of making Ghana one of the leading country of food production in Africa and the world at large.
“This is just the beginning of the programmes in the northern sector and by the time we extend the project to the whole Ghana to reach all farmers, productivity would quadruple,” the Minister reiterated.
The Ministry of Food & Agriculture is implementing five major programmes; Planting for Food and Jobs, One District One Dame, Building of Wear Houses, Tree Crop Development Programme and the implementation of both SAPID and SIP.
2021 Nat. Best Farmer interacts with Food & Agric. Minister
Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto noted that, these programmes have come to improve and boost production especially the Tree Crop Development which is aimed at departing from the mainly depended cocoa economy adding that, warehouses are to store excess food to beat the seasonal crop shortage.
The tour took the minister to Yumzaa Shea Butter Company where he assured them of government support to depart from the era of using manpower for production to a modern and scientific way of doing work.
Dr Afriyie also said through the tree crop development programme, women will no longer walk in the busy harvesting wild trees for Shea butter but would introduce scientific way of planting the seedlings of the product in the five northern regions.
On her part, the Chief Executive Officer of Yumzaa Shea Butter Company Mrs.
Zakaria Adam P. Laceera appealed to the Minister to control the price of the product than living it in the hands of the middlemen who buy it cheap from the women and sell it on a high price.
2021 National Best Farmer calls on Govt. to to reduce prices of Fertilizer
Mrs. Laceera again called on the Minister to intervene by helping them to get access to credit facilities and appealed for compose processing machine to enable the turn the by-product to compose for the farmers.
The tour of the Food and Agric Minister continues today as he meet the various stakeholders in the Agric ministry in the five Northern Regions.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
