The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) has called on the Government of Ghana to increase its budget allocation to the agricultural sector for the 2022 fiscal year.
According to the association, government has to invest more into the sector as the 1.86 per cent was far below the 10 per cent expected.
The budget did not tally with the statement released by PFAG ahead of the 2022 presentation by government, which indicated their expectation of 10 per cent being designated to the agricultural sector in order to anchor the post COVID-19 recovery around the sector and foster government’s agenda of developing the Ghana beyond aid policy.
Speaking at a media briefing in Accra after the budget presentation, the Head of Programme and Advocacy, Dr. Charles Nyaaba, lauded government for acknowledging the sector and allocating a budget, but quickly added that the budget was far below what was needed to manage the activities of the sector in this era.
He indicated that the agriculture value chain, and its attendant challenges concerning the effect of climate change on the sector had significant ramifications for Ghana’s post COVID-19 recovery strategy and food security.
He stated that government’s investments to the sector would protect not only smallholder farmers but food security and Ghanaians at large.
“Government had to resuscitate warehousing, irrigation development, feeder roads, agro industries, mechanization, research and development,” Dr. Nyaaba said in connection to capital investments.
He further added that “Government should also address credibility gap, and restore the subsidy amount at least to half of the market price for smallholder farmers.”
Dr. Nyaaba further spoke on government’s directive on abolishing road tolls on public roads. In his speech, he revealed that delay of trucks on the highway and toll booths was one of the causes contributing to perishable commodities.
With the loss of jobs for toll collectors and hawkers, he admonished government to provide alternative source of livelihoods for them.
He further asked government to reduce the prices of petroleum products to make farmers comfortable.
Adding his voice to the electronic charges, he suggested that the bar should be raised to at least GH₵ 1,000. He said, if the bar is not raised, farmers would be discouraged to engage in electronic transactions.
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