Review Fertilizer Subsidy Programme – Gov’t Told

The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) has called for a review in the fertilizer subsidy programme.

In a statement issued during the Farmers Day Celebration which was held on Friday, PFAG urged government to reduce the amount of money put in subsidizing chemical fertilizer.

They insist government should use the saved money to support organic fertilizer and sustainable agriculture.

The Fertilizer Subsidy Programme, which was launched in 2015, is aimed at enhancing food production and security. The two types of fertilizer in the subsidy category are compound fertilizer (all types) and Urea.

PFAG believes organic fertilizer is economically prudent, environmentally friendly, gender sensitive and climate resilient, hence the need for government to support it.

“Apart from cost to the tax payer, there is evidence of the   effect health of using too much chemical fertilizer. There is also environmental implications and economic consequences of over reliance on importation since the manufacturing companies are outside Ghana,” the statement read.

Touching on the Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), the Association believes its introduction would worsen the poverty level of smallholder farmers.

According to them, “the call for introduction of GMOs to salvage the local seed industry is only a strategy by multi-national seed companies and their Ghanaian agents to control seed production and rip the patent right of a single seed purchased by farmers.”

Farmers Day

This year’s celebration, which is the 34th since its inception in 1985, was on the theme: “Agriculture: Moving Ghana Beyond Aid.”

A 60-year-old farmer, James Obeng Boateng, from the Brong Ahafo region was adjudged the 2018 National Best Farmer at the ceremony held in the Northern regional capital, Tamale.

He received a ¢480,000 cheque, a huge improvement from the events first edition in 1985.

Meanwhile, the Association of Peasant Farmers has called on the organizers of Farmers’ Day celebration to reflect on the criteria for selecting award winners.

PFAG argued that the awards are mostly skewed in favour of large-scale farmers especially at the national level.

“It must be noted that, whiles large scale farming is by choice in developed countries, in Ghana, it by privilege, gender and inheritance. For instance, most women have no choice of expanding their farm size due to land tenure system and difficulty accessing credit for being a woman.

It would, therefore be unfair for such a woman who has a passion for agriculture to miss the opportunity of winning a house to a man who is privileged to inherit resources, land and also, has access to credit due to availability of inherited collateral,” PFAG mentioned.