According to Prof. Peter Quartey, Director of the Institute for Statistical, Social and Economic Research (ISSER) at the University of Ghana, food is one of the main driver of inflation, thus tangible measures must be taken to maintain its security and avert any impending crises.
He advised that in order to support year-round farming and ensure that there is enough to meet the needs of the nation, the agricultural industry must make the most of irrigation.
Prof. Quartey indicated that government must increase investment in domestic food production and employ measures to make available cheaper credit for large-scale commercial farmers who will, in turn, pull along the small-scale farmers to increase production.
“I believe we have not changed the fundamentals of food production in this country. We provide fertilisers and even now, the rate at which fertilisers are supplied to farmers has reduced because the suppliers have not been paid.
We only farm, sometimes, just four and five times a year because we rely on rainfed agriculture. We are blessed with a lot of rivers so we need to invest in irrigation – irrigation is key. Also, we have to invest in the value chain as a whole.