The leadership from the Secretariat, Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen (GNAFF), has presented a compelling argument for President John Dramani Mahama to appoint someone with exceptional qualifications as the Minister for Food and Agriculture.
The Secretariat firmly believes that the Ministry requires somebody with just educational qualifications but with a good relationship with stakeholders in the agricultural sector and value chain.
It emphasised that the nominee should have extensive experience, a skill set, and an in-depth understanding of the sector to make him an ideal fit for the position.
Director in Charge of Operations, Eric Sosu, and Administrator, Ebenezer Kwabena Asante, noted that the Ministry required an individual with the requisite qualifications and understanding to address the myriad challenges confronting the agricultural sector.
The duo revealed that prior to the elections, the proposed candidate should be a person who had engaged in extensive consultations with Ghanaian farmers and fisherfolk to garner opinions and suggestions on the solutions for managing the sector.
These consultations formed a crucial component of the solutions proposed and incorporated into the National Democratic Congress (NDC) manifesto.
Furthermore, the Secretariat highlighted that the agriculture sector is grappling with a multitude of challenges, including low production, low productivity, food losses, limited markets, and inadequate access to credit.
The Secretariat expressed confidence that with someone who possesses the qualities they spoke of at the helm of the Ministry, these challenges would be effectively addressed.
They also asserted that such a person with these qualities and expertise would enable President John Dramani Mahama to tackle the low investment in agricultural modernisation and the entire value chain, which has culminated in food insecurity and alarmingly high food inflation over the past years under the previous administration.
Moreover, they emphasised that the sector is vulnerable to climate change and environmental degradation, exacerbated by the increased incidence of illegal mining, necessitating a strong and politically astute personality to address these issues.
“When we get someone who had engaged civil society organisations and interacted with farming groups to acknowledge their concerns, we firmly believe that individuals would be the ideal candidate for the position of Minister for Food and Agriculture. As a party that has pledged to address these challenges through an ‘AGRICULTURE FOR ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION AGENDA’ (AETA), which aims to modernise agriculture and promote agribusiness to reduce food inflation, ensure food security, boost exports, and create sustainable jobs, we strongly propose that an experienced person is appointed to spearhead this agenda at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
We are confident that the appointment will enable the NDC government to achieve its objective of addressing food insecurity and boosting local food production for consumption. Additionally, we are aware of the party’s plans to establish farmer service centres to provide farmers with modern agricultural equipment, technologies, and inputs in all districts, as well as create farm banks within agricultural zones to facilitate land access and irrigation facilities for agricultural purposes and encourage young people to engage in farming.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
