By Albert Futukpor
Tamale, April 29, GNA – Yara Ghana, a fertilizer company, has assured farmers in Ghana of the availability of fertilizers in the required quantities and at affordable prices to ensure this farming season becomes successful.
Mr Kudjoe Agbenyega, the Acting Managing Director of Yara Ghana, who gave the assurance, said: “This year, I can assure that there will be no shortage of fertilizers as far as Yara is concerned.”
“We will bring all the products in the quantities that are required to make the season successful. So, farmers can rest assured that fertilizers will be readily available for them in every part of the country.”
Mr Agbenyega said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Tamale on the side-lines of a stakeholders’ meeting on the Sustainable Soyabean Production in Northern Ghana Project.
The GNA sought to find out measures in place to ensure the availability of fertilizers for this year’s farming season based on the shortage of fertilizers in previous years, which was attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
“You know we had the issue of COVID-19, which led to some countries holding back on exports. For example, China held back as well as some countries in Europe. Thankfully, COVID-19 is behind us now, even though we still have some challenges with the disease,” Mr Agbenyega said.
“So, because of that, prices shot up a little. But now, thankfully, prices are going down and we are happy to pass on that reduction in price to our farmers.”
He said the Russia-Ukraine war “affected imports last year but generally, we have found solutions; other sources of bringing fertilizer to Ghana. So, that problem has been solved a little.”
“There are still issues of imports from Russia but by and large, I think we have seen the end of that problem.”
On the Grow Ghana Project being implemented by Yara Ghana, he said it was running this year and had started in the southern part of the country, where the farming season had begun, and would be replicated in the northern sector at the beginning of its farming season.
Farmers under the project are to buy two bags of fertilizer and receive one bag free.
“We are very happy to help farmers to farm in a very scientific way; in a way that will help them improve their livelihoods and income levels.”
GNA