Bismark Owusu Nortey (middle) addressing the media
The Executive Director of Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), Bismark Owusu Nortey has raised concerns over the lack of alternate water supplies which is affecting crop production in the country.
According to him due to insufficient quantity of rain water, farmers are reporting withering crops, delayed sowing, and large financial losses.
He added that, parts of the Volta and Oti regions, as well as Bono East, Upper West, and Upper East regions have been severely affected by the current low rain fall, which is making things more difficult.
The Executive Director stressed that, the multi-burden of high input costs, and low rainfall could derail farmers’ efforts and deepen the food crises adding that, “if farmers suffer, all Ghanaians will suffer.”
He said this during a press conference held in Accra by the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) to address the media on the impact of unfavorable weather conditions on farmers.
He emphasised that PFAG are alarmed and concerned with the current climate condition happening within the planting season, and called on the government to help addressed the situation.
Emphasising on the PFJ 2.0 programme, he stated that, the registration process characterised by several challenges made it difficult for farmers to register.
He added that, “there is a lack of adequate extension officers to collect farmers’ data, inadequate logistics (tablets and motorbikes) to facilitate movement, as well as, bad timing for registration process”.
Mr. Owusu Nortey also stressed that, less than 15% of farmers have registered under the programme according to the organisation’s independent assessment, and problems with poor logistics, lack of extension personnel, and political meddling have made implementation difficult.
He disclosed that most of the pledges of assistance in the areas of harvesting, mechanisation, land preparation, extension services, and input distribution have not materialised.
“The current input distribution formula under the grant component of the PFJ 2.0 has become extremely politicised and serving as an avenue for some unscrupulous public officials and politicians to demand payment from farmers before benefitting,” he said.
The grant component programme, he said, was aimed to help vulnerable farmers including female-headed households, elderly farmers and farmers with disability and smallholder farmers with limited access to input.
According to him, the ministry revealed that, the grant component of the programme was designed to support vulnerable famers with three 50kg bags of fertilizer, 50kg bag of urea fertilizer and a 10kg bag of maize seeds free of charge, however, “the rich and politically farmers are the ones benefitting rather than the vulnerable farmers”.
He thus urged the government to limit political interference in the distribution process and return control to the district agricultural departments.
He also entreated the government to take immediate action and address the issues of climate change, provide emergency irrigation systems and water supplies, and assist struggling farmers financially.
By Janet Odei Amponsah & Najat Ibrahim Abdullah