By Edward Acquah, GNA
Accra, June 17, GNA – The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has begun distributing 40,000 bags of fertiliser and five agricultural drones to farmers under the Feed Ghana Programme.
The intervention is aimed at boosting crop production, strengthening food security and improving farmers’ access to modern agricultural inputs and technologies during the current farming season.
Mr Eric Opoku, Minister of Food and Agriculture, announced the distribution at a ceremony in Accra on Tuesday, saying the fertilisers would support farmers during the major planting season in northern Ghana and the forthcoming minor season in the southern part of the country.
He said the ministry had already commenced fertiliser distribution to agricultural production constituencies nationwide and expected the exercise to be completed by Friday.
“… the farmer remains central to our food security, and that the transformation of Ghana’s economy must begin from the soil, from the farm, and from the hard-working hands of our farmers,” he said.
Mr Opoku explained that the 40,000 bags of fertiliser would be channelled through the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) to reach farmers who might not have benefited from district-level distribution arrangements.
“This is deliberate. It reflects government’s commitment to fairness and inclusion. It shows that under the Feed Ghana Programme, no hardworking farmer should be left behind simply because he or she could not access support through the first channel of distribution,” he stated.
The Minister said the five agricultural drones would support the adoption of precision agriculture by enabling farmers and farmer organisations to monitor crops, detect pests and diseases early, map farms and improve decision-making.
In addition, the ministry distributed about 8,000 cartons of organic fertiliser to selected farmer cooperatives, vegetable production groups and irrigation schemes to promote sustainable farming practices and improve soil health.
Mr Opoku said government was pursuing a balanced fertiliser strategy that combined inorganic and organic fertilisers to increase productivity while safeguarding long-term soil fertility.
“If we want food prices to stabilise, we must produce more. If we want to reduce food imports, we must produce more. If we want to create jobs for our youth, we must produce more,” he said.
The Feed Ghana Programme is a flagship government initiative designed to increase agricultural productivity, reduce food imports, create employment opportunities and support agro-industrial development through improved access to quality inputs, mechanisation, irrigation and modern farming technologies.
Receiving the items on behalf of PFAG, Mr Douglas Annor, President of the Association, expressed appreciation to the ministry for the support.
“This support comes at a crucial time and will help farmers improve productivity, enhance soil fertility, adopt modern farming technologies and contribute to national food security,” he said.
Mr Annor assured the ministry that the fertilisers and drones would be distributed transparently and used for their intended purposes.
He appealed for sustained government investment in quality seeds, mechanisation, irrigation, extension services and agricultural financing to support smallholder farmers and improve agricultural productivity.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Edward Acquah
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