Rev John Akaribo
A TOTAL of about 600 farmers located in 19 communities in the Upper East Region, have threatened to quit farming this season, in favour of other jobs.
According to the farmers, they have decided to do this to avoid losses because there are no good irrigation systems to water their plants to guarantee good yields.
They said for some number of years now, their expectations have not been met as all efforts and money they invest into farming practices go waste as a result of the unreliable rainfall patterns in recent times adding that some of their members even died as a result of the failed rains.
Rev John Akaribo, spokesperson for the aggrieved farmers, in an interview on a Bolgatanga-based radio station, said despite their plea to government to help small scale farmers with timely release of inputs, the government has failed to come out with clear guidelines on the transportation and distribution of subsidised fertilisers in the Upper East Region.
According to Rev. John Akaribo they have learnt from past experience and so, if government’s distribution plan is not clear, farmers, especially peasant and small-scale ones, will find it difficult to locate the subsidised fertilisers; which means they will not able to apply fertiliser or they will have to go to the open market to pay full cost for the input.
He noted that aside from the fact that there is no guideline on the distribution and sales outlets, there is also a rise in the prices of the various types of fertilisers and other farm inputs.
In April 2022 the Bolgatanga Co-operative predicted that there will be a shortage of food stuff on the market, because only a few farmers went into farming due to the high cost of farming, and also due to the government’s refusal to support them in their businesses.
In less than a month’s time, the Upper East Region will be entering the farming season.
The farmers are blaming the government for their decision, saying, government is not being sensitive to their plight for which reason they have decided to invest their resources and time in other ventures rather than farming this season.
FROM: Ebo Bruce-Quansah, Bolgatanga