In most African countries, the agricultural sector is one of the sectors that lacks value and development. Africa still struggles to turn its advantages into industrialization and economic progress despite the fact that the majority of its people are smallholder farmers, possess fertile land, and contribute to the continent’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
The major factors impeding agribusiness in Africa using Ghana as a case study have been lack of capital investment, inadequate water supply, water contamination and lack of education on agriculture industrialization.
A focus on agriculture financing might help farmers produce in big numbers to meet local demand, boost exports, and enhance their quality of life. Here in Ghana, most farmers are smallholder farmers. Over the years, Ghana has had a significant funding difficulty that has trapped farmers, particularly smallholder farmers in rural Ghana.
Due to their inability to obtain financing from financial institutions, small – scale farmers are held back by poverty and are unable to expand their fields or buy equipment to boost output. The majority of smallholder farmers are already trapped in the poor soil fertility-poverty cycle, making it impossible for them to finance inputs, adopt sustainable soil management techniques, and profit from the sector’s development.
Protecting water bodies from chemical pollution while focusing on irrigation can help farmers produce good yields. The use of irrigation which is no longer reliable due to climate change can help farmers grow their crops without having to rely solely on rainwater. Irrigation is the technique of manually supplying water to crops to meet their needs. Crops may also receive nutrients through irrigation. Water for irrigation can be obtained through wells, ponds, lakes, canals and even dams.
Moisture provided by irrigation is essential for germination, growth, and other related processes. In Ghana, most water bodies have been polluted due to illegal mining and dumping of refuse by these water bodies. Plants may not germinate properly resulting in low agriculture production.
Due to a lack of knowledge about agricultural modernization and its advantages, most people have low opinions of the agricultural industry. The majority of farmers, particularly in Ghana, produce and sell unprocessed crops at rates that result in losses.
To sum up, only when the sector is appropriately funded, when clean water is consistently supplied and distributed for irrigation, and when farmers and persons are trained in and actively engage in agricultural industrialization, can it be said that agriculture in Africa is prioritized.
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