Civil society think tank Arise Ghana has presented an independent, non-partisan evaluation of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture during the first year of President John Mahama’s administration.
Speaking at a press conference themed “Agriculture Policy Reforms: What Ghanaians must know,” Director of Protocol Dzramado Selorm Dramani commended the sector’s new trajectory under Minister Hon. Eric Opoku while highlighting key flagship initiatives and proposing measures to ensure long-term sustainability.
Arise Ghana underscored agriculture as the primary engine of Ghana’s economy, national development, food security, and employment.
The organization stressed that agricultural policy directly shapes food prices, farmer livelihoods, industrial competitiveness, and import dependency.
However, the group observed that persistent hurdles remain, particularly limited access to affordable credit, high production costs, inadequate irrigation infrastructure, and underdeveloped market linkages.
Evaluating the Ministry’s progress, Arise Ghana highlighted six core policy initiatives currently driving sector transformation.
The Feed Ghana Programme operates as a comprehensive, multi-year value-chain strategy designed to enhance productivity, expand extension services, and reduce food imports.
Early rollouts include the distribution of 40,000 bags of inorganic fertilizer, nearly 8,000 cartons of organic fertilizer, agricultural drones, and 500,000 Kuroiler birds to smallholder farmers—with a focus on women, single mothers, and persons with disabilities.
Furthermore, 506 “Feed Ghana Brigadiers” have been trained to coordinate district-level extension activities.
To overhaul soil management and seed policy, the ministry is investing in soil laboratories, nationwide soil sampling, and upgraded seed-testing equipment.
The rehabilitation of the national soil laboratory in Kumasi aims to end blanket fertilizer application by introducing district-level testing. Additionally, the Ejapa rice seed initiative is projected to yield over 10,000 tonnes of seed by 2027, supporting the national goal of curbing the $320 million spent annually on rice imports.
In water management, the ministry is shifting the sector from rain-fed farming to year-round irrigation.
Key projects comprise the construction of 10 new dams, the rehabilitation of eight existing structures, 250 solar-powered boreholes, and the refurbishment of major schemes at Vea, Weta, Tanoso, Ashaiman, Kpong, and Aveyime. Two new schemes in the Afram Plains–Kunadu area will cover an additional 900 hectares.
Parallel mechanization efforts have delivered over 4,000 machinery units, initiated the first phase of 50 Farmer Service Centres starting at Takoratwene, and deployed DRIP equipment to construct 1,000 kilometres of farm roads to boost market access.
To address post-harvest losses—currently estimated at 30 to 40 per cent—the government is strengthening the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) to manage seasonal supply, deploying 300 locally fabricated threshers, and introducing a rice import quota policy requiring importers to partner with local producers.
Sectoral diversification is further supported by the Nkoko Nketenkete backyard poultry drive, the “Farm to Table” poultry framework, and the YƐREDUA Vegetable Development Project for greenhouse and open-field cultivation.
Arise Ghana commended Minister Opoku’s visionary leadership in translating commitments into measurable outcomes but cautioned against historical patterns of weak policy continuity across administrations.
To protect these gains, the think tank urged the Ministry to institutionalize reforms through legislative backing, transparent monitoring systems, updated farmer databases, expanded access to credit, and stronger extension services.
Concluding the presentation, Arise Ghana called on all stakeholders to view agricultural transformation as a unified national priority rather than a partisan endeavor, noting that success will ultimately be judged by farmer incomes, food affordability, and job creation.
“Let us feed Ghana, but let us also make farming profitable, agriculture competitive, and the food system accountable,” the group declared.
By: Onokwafo Yaw Asiedu/Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
