GAWU Urges Govt to prioritise Agricultural Investment as Key Strategy to tackle Inflation.

The General Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU) has emphasized the vital role of channeling investments into the agriculture sector as a potent solution for managing inflation in the nation. Mr. Edward Kareweh, the General Secretary of GAWU, has highlighted the pressing need to address the root cause of inflation—particularly food inflation—which has been a prominent driver of economic instability.

Kareweh stressed that the ongoing surge in food inflation stems from a combination of both domestic and external factors, including the inflow of overpriced food imports into the country. He explained that countries grappling with inflation tend to transfer those price hikes onto their exported goods, which, in turn, affects the cost of imported products. This trend results in a ripple effect, causing local prices to escalate in response.

Discussing domestic contributors, Kareweh pinpointed the elevated production costs, a recent decline in food output, and the burdensome taxation on essential goods and tools within the agricultural industry.

He also spoke about the vulnerability of a nation dependent on imports saying, “If you have a country like ours where we import almost everything, it means that when there’s a global dynamic, we’ll suffer it so much.”

The General Secretary further added that in the past fertilisers that were supplied to farmers were smuggled out of the country.

He concluded by saying the survival of humans highly deepens on food, thus, “no person can afford to forgo food no matter their level of income, so food is critical and the government must prioritise the agriculture sector”.