Agric Sector Needs Formula For Allocation – SEND-Ghana

SEND-Ghana, a non-governmental organization (NGO) has urged the Finance Ministry to develop a formula to facilitate strategic, systematic and consistent allocation to the Agriculture Sector.

This, according to the NGO, would enable the sector achieve the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) 10% budget allocation and ensure a 6% growth.

Presenting its findings on a study on “Budget Tracking and Analysis in the Agriculture Sector” on Wednesday, Rachel Gyabaah, a Programme Officer at SEND Ghana disclosed that even though Ghana has signed unto the CAADP protocols, the country could not meet the 10 percent expenditure allocation and at least 6 percent growth for the period of 2014 to 2017.

The averaged allocation and actual expenditures for the period 2014 to 2016, according to her, was about 3 percent allocation whilst actual is 2.5 percent which reflected in the low average growth rate of 3 percent.

However, the sector experienced a change in 2017 with an increase of the allocation and actual to an average of 5.1 percent and 5.4 percent respectively, and the correspondent growth of 8 percent.

“The inability to meet the CAADP goals of 10 percent expenditure allocation and at least 6 percent growth is attributable to nonexistence of a formula to facilitate strategic, systematic and consistence allocation, no sector experts to analyze the sector and negotiate for more resources,” she explained.

Ms. Gyabaah believes that high investment and right target ensured growth in  2017 and further asserted that the sector would increase its growth if it follows in that direction in the period under the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ)

No Data on Beneficiaries of PFJ Policy

She was however quick to disclose that even though the Planting for Food and Jobs policy was targeted at small holder farmers, there are no data to show that the right farmers received the support.

“This will therefore require stakeholder census to generate the required data to facilitate policy targeting for maximum impact,” she said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Kwame Asafu-Adjei, the Chairman for Food and Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs at Parliament who was present at the meeting, asserted that farmers are not being helped enough in the country.

According to him, the continuous change of policies due to a change of government keeps affecting the Agriculture sector.

He therefore called for a value chain appraisal on Public Private Partnership (PPP) level to prevent change of policies when there is a change of government.

The National dialogue organized by SEND Ghana, was based on a study on Budget Tracking and Analysis of Ghana’s Agriculture Sector.

The study assessed government’s expenditure allocations in the sector between 2014 and 2017. Its main objective was to increase small holder farmers knowledge on Planting for Food and Jobs campaign.