By P. K. Yankey
Takoradi July 06, GNA-An Accra-based Commercial Farmer, Mr Kwame Ofei, has expressed concern over why Ghana is not food sufficient despite the vast arable lands and rich water bodies.
He said the “mighty Black Volta” which runs from Burkina Faso, flows freely South where it is harnessed by the Volta Dam at Akosombo and Kpong and all flow onward and wasted into the Atlantic Ocean without maximum agricultural benefits.
He admitted that “Ghana, a nation that prides itself as the beacon of hope for all of Africa being the first black African nation to wean itself off colonial clutches to become an independent nation, could not see the light of day unless it became food sufficient.”
Speaking to Ghana News Agency in an interview in Takoradi, Mr Kwame Ofei said “a nation that once boasted that it could prove that the Blackman if given the chance, could manage her own affairs successfully cannot fail the people and the rest of Africa.
He recalled that the country had huge Agricultural silos to store food for future consumption, the Ghana Food Distribution Company, the massive state farms, food processing companies with Pawlugu in the Upper East to process tomatoes, meat processing factory which processed meat into canned beef.
He lamented that “today, we are lost as a nation; food prices have skyrocketed in the last 10 months, a crate of eggs which sold at GHc12.00 is now at a whooping GHc56.00 which is over 400 per cent increase”.
The Agriculturalist chastised Ghanaians saying, “instead of finding pragmatic collective solutions, we are doing serious politics with our food.”
He said all political parties blame one another for a solution, but feeding Ghanaians must not be a political tool neither must food sufficiency be at the mercy of politicians, adding that food must be a national programme devoid of NDC and NPP.
“Our food must make us a nation of progressive people not a tool any political party can use as an election support, adding that so far, the two prominent political parties have all failed when it comes to food sufficiency,” he said.
Mr Ofei added that “we can’t buy kenkey from 50 pesewas some few years ago to GHc4.00 today.
He said, “the price of bread was between GHc2.00 and GHc8.00 two years ago but today bread is GHc20.00, adding we are descending so fast into poverty while being told that we are the fastest growing economy in the world”.
He asked the leadership of the nation to “go back to the basics; if the state farmlands are available, why not distribute them to large Agricultural farm lots.
He said each Region must compulsorily have their dam belt, an initiative where each District Assembly must give a substantial amount of its funds to Agricultural development which would generate enough food for the nation and have extra for export.
He suggested that every Municipal or District Assembly must acquire farmlands which would be distributed to individual farmers to cultivate this, he noted would increase food production in the country.
Mr Ofei also stressed the need for dam lots for irrigation purposes at the district level adding, that Ghana needed to make the necessary investments to become self-sufficient.
GNA