‘The transformation of our economy depends on agriculture’
Any nation that does not give priority to agriculture, food security and youth employment will remain in abject poverty.
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Agriculture is a vital source of food and needed agro-produce for essential economic and industrial gains. The well-being of citizens largely depends on the quality of nutrition the society and the people are exposed to. However, the total neglect of this very essential sector has relegated farming to the background in our country today.
Those with white-colour jobs are demanding an increase in minimum wage while the Trades Union Congress (TUC) is proposing an increase in wages for its members in a bid to get them more motivated but the question remains: Who fights for the poor farmer in our country to have a good price for his or her farm crops?
Honestly, this is where I think we must give more concentration to intensive agriculture and farming in the country.
The government needs to ensure that farmers don’t produce and then are unable to sell but rather, ensure that there are structures in place to help them sell and make reasonable profit. Storage towers, cold rooms and other preservation methods should be adopted to buy and store agricultural produce and then sold to the public at highly subsidised rates by the government. This will not only encourage and enlarge local production but force cheap imports out of the market, by making made-in-Ghana goods cheaper and more available than imported produce.
Agric, backbone of the economy
Agriculture undoubtedly remains the backbone or live wire of our economy and provides the basics of life in terms of food, clothing, shelter etc. It is also a vital source of employment, foreign exchange, income etc. and these points do not need re-emphasising. Our untapped human and natural resources have left us in poverty. As a consumer economy, we regrettably import even subsidised toothpicks from other country’s not to talk about the total domineers of chicken parts from other countries which is killing our local poultry farmer. It is shocking that we cannot produce our own foods upon our vast virgin lands, not even toothpicks.
The gateway to Africa is bleeding and needs surgery so to speak. Our agricultural banks, commercial banks and other financial institutions must give agriculture the attention it deserves before it is too late. Not forgetting our insurance companies too and we will be glad to hear from them in the introduction of policies that will give the farmer’s crops some protection so that the farmer can insure his/her farm.
This policy should give farmers guarantees when they go to the banks to be able to support or invest in the farmer and this is where we, at www.akuafoadanfo.com (Ghana’s #1 Agro-Online Market shop) are seeking to partner insurance companies ready to give such policy to our farmers.
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We must regulate the middlemen or the so-called “queen mother” and regulate their excesses during the process of the distribution chain. To make it easier for all buyers, www.akuafoadanfo.com provides the platform to buy directly from the farmer which also allows the farmer to sell directly to the buyer from the farm. This will also minimise wastage and also reduce post-harvest loss, which is when we become certain that the government will make provision for storage towers across the country.