The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) yesterday presented 4,800 bags of fertiliser to the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) to support its members during this year’s major planting season in northern Ghana and the upcoming minor season in the southern sector of the country.
The support, comprising 40,000 inorganic and 8,000 organic fertilisers, was provided under the government’s Feed Ghana Programme and aims to increase agricultural productivity, improve food security and enhance farmers’ incomes.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony in Accra, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Eric Opoku, said the intervention formed part of measures to ensure that farmers who may not have benefited from fertiliser allocations through district agricultural offices also received support.
He said the ministry had already commenced nationwide distribution of fertiliser to all 276 constituencies, with each constituency receiving 1,500 bags through district agricultural offices.
According to the minister, the distribution exercise is expected to be completed by the end of the week, while registered institutions and faith-based organisations participating in the Institutional Farming Scheme will also receive support.
Mr Opoku said the fertiliser allocation to PFAG reflects the government’s commitment to fairness and inclusiveness in the implementation of agricultural support programmes.
“The Ghanaian farmer remains central to our food security and economic transformation. Our duty as a government is to create the conditions that will enable farmers to succeed,” he said.
In addition to the fertiliser donation, the ministry also presented five agricultural drones to the association to support the adoption of modern farming technologies.
The minister said the drones would assist farmers in monitoring crop performance, detecting pests and diseases early, mapping farmlands and improving farm management decisions.
He noted that the technology would help reduce production costs, improve yields, minimise wastage of agrochemicals and enhance environmental sustainability.
Mr Opoku described the introduction of drone technology as a significant step towards precision agriculture and the modernisation of Ghana’s agricultural sector.
He said the use of technology, data and innovation was critical to attracting more young people into agriculture and making farming more productive and profitable.
The minister further announced the distribution of about 8,000 cartons of organic fertiliser to selected farmer groups, vegetable producers and irrigation schemes across the country.
He said the intervention was intended to improve soil health, increase soil organic matter and promote sustainable agricultural production.
Mr Opoku stressed that increased agricultural production remained essential for stabilising food prices, reducing food imports, creating jobs and supplying raw materials for industry.
He said the government would continue to support farmers with inputs, technology, extension services, mechanisation and market access to accelerate the transformation of the agricultural sector.
Receiving the items on behalf of the association, officials of PFAG expressed appreciation to the government and pledged to ensure equitable distribution of the fertiliser among beneficiary farmers to maximise its impact on food production.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL
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