Ghana is not in food Crisis – Agric Minister
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The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto has stated that Data available to the ministry proves there’s going to be no food crisis in the country.
He said there was a clear distinction between food availability and pricing, emphasizing that Ghanaians were misconstruing the high price of foodstuff to mean food shortage.
Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto made the statement while addressing the Media on Saturday, June 18, 2022, at TQ Farms a faming company at Akim Krodua in Upper West Akim district of the Eastern Region as part of his tour in the region.
The Minister told Afeema FM’s Journalist, Kaakyire Kwasi Afari that his outfit’s tour was informed by statements, especially in Accra, Kumasi and other big cities, that there is food shortage in the country.
The Agric Minister stressed that President Akufo Addo’s administration is attracting even the educated youth into agriculture due to the huge investment into agribusiness.
The Agric minister gave a firm assurance that the current government will do everything possible to prevent hunger in the country in the coming years
According to Afriyie Akoto, about 25,000 metric tonnes of maize are under storage in a wearhouses at Techiman, Bono East Region and are ready for market.
He was, however, optimistic that when farmers begin to harvest the season’s maize, prices of maize will naturally reduce to the benefit of Ghanaians.
His statement with Kaakyire Kwasi Afari, the Minister suggest that the government have no control over rising food prices.
The Minister reiterated that, although it is concerned about the high cost of food prices, little can be done from its end to control food inflation.
He attributed the increase to factors beyond government’s control, such as fertilizer supply, cost of agricultural inputs, transportation cost, Russia and Ukraine Conflict among others.
The sector Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, was worried about commercial banks reluctancy in supporting farmers with soft loans
He indicated that Banks are supposed to provide the farmers with credit facilities to enable them expand production, but that has not been the case, he stressed.
He says government together with the ministry is focusing its energies on supporting commercial farming to expand their production.
To this end, a new Bill is currently before parliament when passed, will compel the banks to allocate 20% of their resources toward supporting agriculture in the country, he said.
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Source: Kaakyire Kwasi Afari
