By Hamza Sulemana
Tamale, Oct. 01, GNA – Discussants at a day’s sensitisation workshop at Tamale on the government’s Feed Ghana Programme, have observed some surmountable challenges that government needs to fix, to make the programme successful.
The discussants revealed challenges such as inadequate motorbikes for extension officers to monitor activities of farmers at commencement of registration, limited resources provided by government for farmer registration, and low numbers of experts and officers to support the processes, as key detriments affecting the registration exercise.
They proposed for a government takeover with very good subsidy packages as incentives, allowing only a lean size private sector participation to enable farmers accrue more of the dividend to positively affect the citizenry and bring the true purpose of the programme to bare.
The workshop was meant to educate farmers and stakeholders on the Feed Ghana Programme, its objectives, registration process, and opportunities.
The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) collaborated with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to organise the sensitisation workshop.
The workshop received support from STAR Ghana Foundation, and brought together farmers, extension officers, and representatives of Farmer-Based Organisations (FBOs) from across the Northern Region.
Mr Felix Oteng Dwaah, the Monitoring and Education Officer, Northern Regional Department of Agriculture, in a presentation, explained that the government’s Feed Ghana Programme sought to transform agriculture and boost the economy.
He said, “The Feed Ghana Programme aims to transform the agricultural sector by ensuring food security, creating sustainable jobs, and reducing import dependency, while boosting domestic production and exports.”
He emphasised that farmers needed to register to benefit from the programme adding only FBOs would be registered and not individuals.
“Each group or FBO can only register for one crop, and this year, inputs will be provided free of charge to registered farmers but from subsequent years, they will have to bear part of the cost,” he said.
Mr Dwaah said currently, the Northern Region was leading in farmer registration, adding that as part of the programme, each constituency would receive 10,000-day-old chicks to boost poultry production.
Hajia Hawa Musah, the Director, Northern Regional Department of Agriculture, who was represented during the workshop, urged farmers to get involved to benefit from the programme.
She said “Registration is required to participate in the Feed Ghana Programme. I encourage members to take advantage of this opportunity to benefit.”
Mr Isaan Pabia, a farmer, emphasised the need for government intervention saying “The price should be looked at because at the current price, farmers cannot break even. We want the government to take control of the market. Leaving the sector in the hands of private people won’t help us grow.”
Other participants also called for increased budgetary allocation to agriculture, climate-smart inputs to tackle climate change and ensuring that political appointees to the sector had practical agricultural experience.
Mr Bismark Owusu Nortey, the Acting Executive Director, PFAG guided participants through PFAG’s monitoring and evaluation template, urging them to stay engaged and actively participate in the Programme.
GNA
Edited by Eric K. Amoh/ Christabel Addo