The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana has appealed to government to maintain prices of subsidized fertilizers in 2020 for the 2021 farming season. The appeal follows hint by MOFA that, the prices of subsidized fertilizer and other farm inputs have been increased for the year 2021 farming season.
Speaking exclusively to Word News in Bolgatanga, on a Sensitization Woworkshop on the 2021 subsidy program proposed work plan, Dr. Charles Nyaaba, the head of Programs and Advocacy for the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana made a passionate appeal to government to absorb the additional prices added to the subsidized fertilizer and farm inputs under it’s flagship program (Planting for Food and Jobs).
“We wish that because, Covid has impacted negatively on our activities and the fact that other stakeholders benefited from the Covid relief, at least the government could have used the subsidy of fertilizer to give some support to farmers and that didn’t happen. You realized that when the Covid hit us, government subsidized water, electricity, a lot of subsidies to people in the hostility industry, those who deal in spare parts and what of you. For farmers, we didn’t get anything. Most farmers live in rural areas, they don’t even use the water government subsidized. Most of them don’t have lights, so they don’t used electricity and they are not benefiting from that. So for us[farmers] to also get our component of the Covid relief, government could at least absorb some of the fertilizers cost to bring it down for us to be able to use.” Dr. Charles Nyaba noted.
Dr. Charles Nyaaba also added that, the inception of subsidies on fertilizer for farmers over the years have been faced with numerous challenges. However, the year 2020 was the only year farmers got fertilizers and other certified seeds on time for the 2020 farming season.
“In our findings contrary to previous years where, we have a distribution of subsidized fertilizers coming in late, many farmers were able to get their fertilizers on time in 2020.
Other area of appreciation to the government is the fact that, more farmers benefited from the 2020 fertilizer subsidy program. It means that we’ve more farmers coming on board.
Some of the challenges we found in the implementation during 2020 farming season, have to do with the prices. Irrespective of the 50% subsidy, prices were still high for most farmers to access especially when a bag of 50kg NPK was Gh84.00, and Uriah Gh80.00. For a farmer to cultivate an acre of maize or rice, the farmer needs at least 2bags of NPK and one bag of Uriah about Gh.250.00 and other costs haven’t come in. So to the farmers that were the challenges for them, and would have wished that government finds a way of actually reducing the cost. Unfortunately for us to realize in 2021 base on the information from the Ministry, they are going high because the 25kg of NPK and Uriah are going for 48.00 and 45.00 respectively, that is very high” Dr. Charles Nyaaba stated.
The county director for the International Budget Partnership Ghana,Abdul Karim Mohammed saids, his outfit is implementing what he describes as Strengthening Public Accountability For Results and Learning, and under this, they are working with citizen groups around service delivery. He said budgets are executed for efficient service delivery and for the Peasant farmers they are working with them with the supply of subsidized fertilizer which is a government flagship program that is implemented to cushion farmers in terms of accessing fertilizer to enhance their production.
Gaspard Ayuureneeya