Farmers urged to Give Accurate Information on Agric Census

    

A call has been made to farmers in the Upper East Region to give accurate information to officers of the Statistical Service in the ongoing nationwide Agricultural Census being conducted.

This will enable policy makers to formulate credible data to streamline the short falls of the government’s planting For and Jobs policy being rolled out on the Agricultural sector last year, which aimed at boosting productivity in order to  achieve food security in the country.

 Small holder farmers in communities of the Upper East Region have indicated that in the 2017 farming season, they were marginalized under the Planting for food and jobs PFJs programme. 

According to the farmers the programme benefited the rich and commercial farmers rather than the poor farmers. 

This came to light during the educational campaign tour on the Agriculture Census being undertaken by the Information Service Staff in the communities in the region. 

They also complained that the seeds and fertilizer subsidy did not get to them on time. In an interview with Radio Ghana, the focal person in charge peasant farmers Association of Ghana PFAG  Rev John Akaribo said, the exercise is to enable government know the number of people in who are into the Agricultural sector and to plan well for them. 

Rev Akaribo added that the PFJs policy introduced last year with the 50% subsidy on fertilizer to farmers was very good but there were some challenges regarding adequate information and the quality of seed provided. 

He therefore appeal to the Government to ensure that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to put stringent measures in place this crop season to ensure that every farmer benefit. A 65 year old farmer, Mr. Joe Abaare, from the Nyariga community near Bolgatanga Municipality, who had been farming for the past 30 years, noted that the programme when implemented devoid of politics and favoritism would help achieve its intended purposes. 

Deputy Director of ISD in charge of Media Liaison Mrs. Esther Codjoe Amissah, assured the farmers that their concerns would be forwarded to the government and entreated them to actively get involved on the ongoing   agriculture census.

The Regional Information Officers Mr. Nelson Mba called on the farmers to ensure that they register with the intervention on time and to also pay their debts for the subsidy they benefited under the programme during the 2017 farming season.

Story by : GBC Emmanuel Akayeti