The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) is calling on government to move swiftly to ensure that there is enough subsidised fertiliser in the market else the country will face serious food insecurity.
The farmers made the call at a press conference last Friday in Accra.
They were not happy with what they described as �developments that have the potential to negate the country�s efforts at attaining food security.�
�What is this development where subsidised fertiliser is unavailable on the market at this crucial moment when the input is most needed,� the National President of PPAG, Mr Mohammed Adam Nashiru, wondered.
He said they (farmers) had been planting since April yet there were no signs of the fertiliser on the market.
Mr Nashiru said Ghana�s fertiliser application rate was one of the lowest in the world, standing at 8kg per hectare compared with 20kg per hectare in Sub-Saharan Africa, 99kg per hectare in Latin America, 109kg per hectare in South Asia and 149 kg per hectare in East and South East Asia.
�This low application rate is attributed to, among others, the high level of poverty among small-scale farmers and low profit margin,� he said.
He mentioned delays in the release of funds to fertiliser importers as one of the problems of farmers while adding that sometimes subsidised fertiliser got to farmers in the middle of the season when its application was no longer useful to the crops.
The farmers therefore called on government to, as a matter of urgency, make subsidised fertilisers available to enable farmers increase their yield.
PFAG also asked G8 countries to make good their pledge in their previous summit in L� Aquila, Italy.
�Three years ago at L� Aquila, Italy, President Obama rallied the G8 leaders to support poor countries to grow more and earn more. The initiative included a US$22 billion financial pledge,� he said.
He said the L� Aquila food security plan ended in December, but as at now the G8 leaders have not met half of their pledge.
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