The Minister of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has re-affirmed that the government will continue to encourage farmers to use and apply organic fertilisers.
He claimed that due to the inorganic fertilizer shortage and associated high prices, this had become required on a global scale.
“The scarcity of organic fertilizer is the problem. Due to the high cost of inorganic fertilizer, farmers are switching to organic liquid fertilizer, which they believe is less efficient than NPK. However, it is still preferable to nothing. Dr. Akoto opined.
During his regional working visit on Monday, June 13, 2022, the Minister made the statement while briefing reporters at a maize farm at the Ghana Prison Service in Duayaw Nkwanta, Ahafo Region.
The Minister will visit areas including Bono, Bono East, Ashanti, and Eastern during the six-day working tour, which started in Ahafo.
The Minister will visit certain project locations and farms as part of the trip, taking advantage of the chance to meet with farmers and learn about the difficulties they face in carrying out their work.
Dr Akoto stated that he had been astonished thus far by the farmers’ cooperation in regard to the use of organic fertilizers.
“I was in awe. I had anticipated that it would take a year or two to convince farmers to make the move, but since necessity is the mother of invention, they are really getting by with the limitations imposed by the fertiliser scarcity.
“The weather has been nice, based on what we have observed. Everywhere we have travelled, we have seen that the corn is currently tasting quite nicely. all agree that the rainfall has been outstanding compared to the previous year, he said.
Earlier, Dr Akoto paid a courtesy visit to Nana Kwasi Bosomprah, the Omanhene of the Goaso Traditional Council.
The Minister’s visit to the area was welcomed with enthusiasm by Nana Bosomprah, who said that “being a cocoa farmer myself, I am really passionate about agriculture.”
He lamented the fact that the rains were not coming as predicted and attributed the change to human activity, such as the careless clearing of trees from the area’s woods.
In order to help farmers with their farming endeavours, he pleaded with the Minister to increase the supply of fertilisers available to them.
The Omanhene of Goaso expressed regret that farmers had no assistance in setting the price for their goods and regretted that this had resulted in purchasers providing any prices.
Therefore, in order to prevent fraud and the exploitation of farmers, he urged the adoption of pricing for agricultural products from the food basket regions.
The minister argued that in order to make agriculture more lucrative, particularly for young people, the government must reform some of the current legislation.
Additionally, he spoke forcefully in favour of giving the local agriculture offices better facilities.
In answer, Dr Akoto acknowledged that the government was concerned about the exorbitant costs of food items on the market.
In order to support the pricing of food items, he stated that the government was trying to bring scales.
Once more, he stated that the government had brought equipment from Brazil to aid with the nation’s rice output and that ten of the millers would be sent to the area to aid rice farmers.
The Integrated Recycling and Compost Plant (IRECoP) at AhoduomNkwanta in the Asunafo North Municipality were among the other locations the Minister toured.