Today is an auspicious day for all farmers and fishermen. It marks the day set aside every year since 1985 by the PNDC regime to honour our illustrious farmers and fishermen.
It is said that any nation that cannot feed itself and has to depend on food hand-out loses its dignity.
It is heartwarming that 29 years ago the government took that progressive step to recognise and honour farmers and fishermen who are the pivot of increased agricultural productivity.
Even in this age of technological advancement, peasant farmers produce the bulk of the country's food requirements. Efforts at mechanised agriculture will take some time to make the desired impact.
Commercial farming is at a low ebb now because of the risks involved in large-scale farming. Regrettably, the banks are unwilling to extent long-term credit to people who are interested in farming at all levels. Again, the government has not been able to ring-fence any fund at the banks for on-lending to farmers at low interest rates.
The status quo must change to allow farmers access to credit, land, fertilizer and other inputs. The situation of farmers and fishermen competing for credit from the open market with traders is not good enough and cannot motivate the youth to venture into agriculture.
Our reliance on rain-fed agriculture must be addressed by the government as soon as practicable to avoid the situation where there is food insecurity when the rains fail. There is also a paradox — anytime the rains are good and we produce in abundance, there is no market for our produce, hence the perennial report of a glut during the tomato season.
This happens periodically in a country where because we are unable to feed ourselves, we rely on neighbouring countries for plantain and tomatoes, onions and vegetables from mostly our Sahelian neighbours.
We are blessed with abundant resources — throughout the year rain falls in most parts of the country and we have vegetation that can support the production of all foodstuffs — but because of our inability to plan we wallow in the midst of plenty.
The Daily Graphic is not suggesting in the least that in the globalised world we can do without any collaboration with the rest of the world. Far from it. We think we can win more recognition and also bargain from a point of strength if we apply our resources well.
The Daily Graphic, therefore, calls on the government to take immediate steps to remove all the bottlenecks militating against agricultural production in the country. We dare say that if we do not take deliberate action to make agriculture attractive, that sector will continue to be on the decline because the aged farmers have already paid their dues and it is time for the youth to take over.
This is the time to strengthen the youth-in-agriculture programme and motivate young people, including tertiary institution graduates, to venture into agriculture and make a change with their know how.
The Daily Graphic salutes all farmers and fishermen whose toil and sweat put food on our tables every day, as well as earn foreign exchange for the critical development of the country.
