Ayariga urges Ghana shift to commercial farming to end nearly $4b food imports  

Mr Mahama Ayariga, the Majority Leader and Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Central, has warned that Ghana will continue to rely heavily on food imports unless the country transitions from peasant farming to large-scale commercial agriculture.    

Contributing to a statement ahead of the 41st National Farmers’ Day celebration on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, Mr Ayariga revealed that Ghana spent between $3.5 and $4 billion annually on food imports.  

He stressed the need for a paradigm shift from small-scale subsistence farming to well-engineered, irrigated, and technology-driven agriculture to achieve food self-sufficiency.    

“As a nation, we should remind ourselves of our failures and change our ways,” he said, urging policymakers to embrace modern farming practices.  

This year’s Farmers’ Day is being observed on the theme: “Feed Ghana, Eat Ghana and Secure the Future.”    

Madam Patricia Appeagyei, Deputy Minority Leader and MP for Asokwa, also called for households to adopt backyard and individual farming initiatives to complement national efforts at ensuring food sufficiency.    

Adding to the debate, Mr Sampson Ahi, Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Agribusiness and MP for Bodi, announced that government had re-introduced free fertilizer distribution for cocoa farmers.   

He further disclosed that starting next academic year, children of cocoa farmers enrolled in tertiary institutions would benefit from free scholarships.    

Mr Ahi noted that government had fulfilled its promise to cocoa farmers by paying Free on Board (FOB) prices, underscoring its commitment to supporting the sector.    

Ghana began the Farmers Day celebration in 1985 to encourage farming and recognise the hard working farmers whose tolls provided food for many Ghanaians.   

The discussions in Parliament highlighted the urgency of transforming Ghana’s agricultural landscape to secure the nation’s food future while recognizing the contributions of farmers ahead of the national celebration.    

Source: GNA  

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