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The country�s peasant farmers have now resolved to hold series of protests across the country from next month to press home their demand for recognition and inclusion in the formulation of national policies. The peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), Action Aid Ghana and the Center for Indigenous Knowledge and Origination Development (CIKOD) are spearheading the protests. Charles Nyaaba, Programmes officer of the PFAG told Business Day that farmers have been ignored for far too long. For years, farmers have complained, about neglect and exclusion from the formulation of strategic national policies. They claim that although they produce about 80 percent of total agricultural output, they are not accorded the needed respect. The straw that seems to have broken the camel�s back was the recently held National Economic Forum which assembled all stakeholders for consultations on pressing economic challenges. The farmers claim that they were not invited to contribute to the discussions and offer solutions. Hundreds of farmers from the Northern, Upper East and Upper, West regions have hit the streets of the Northern regional capital Tamale a day after the forum ended. It was the first in a series of protests to be staged by farmers across the country. �We keep talking about government neglecting small holder farmers when it comes to policy and decision making in this country. If you look at the economic forum that was just, organized no farmer was invited. This was an important event that will affect the lives of majority of people who are in that sector. Yet they invited all stakeholders and ignored us,� Mr. Nyaaba stated. He continued: �Akua Donkor was the only farmer there and she was there as a politician and not a farmer. So she was not there to articulate our views. If she had, not contested the 2012 elections, they wouldn�t have invited her. So we think it was a non-started to do this kind of meeting without inviting farmers.� The farmers also used the demonstration to oppose what they described as attempts by multinational seed companies to push the Plant Breeders Bill through parliament despite their concerns. Speaker of Parliament Edward Doe Adjaho has suspended discussions on the bill to pave way for further consultations. But the peasant farmers say the Select Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affair is frustrating their efforts to make inputs. Mr. Nyaaba said they will re-petition the speaker to bring the committee to order. �They have not met us; I mean the PFAG, Action Aid, CIKOD and those kicking against it. They met those who are rather supporting the bill. But we have issues and they are not meeting us. When it is finally passed into law it will lead to the introduction of GMO�s into this country. And that will affect majority of farmers. So we will not keep quiet for them to have their way. We will continue the protests until they listen to us. Because we are important and our views must e respected, he said.� PFAG, Action Aid and CIKOD have also met traditional and religious leaders to boost the anti-GMO campaign. The meeting recommended to the speaker of Parliament to push for a review of some provisions in the Bio-Safety and Fertilizer Acts. They contend that these are also inimical to the interests of farmers and must be amended together with those in the Plant Breeders Bill. Farmers in the Western, Central, Greater Accra and Volta Regions will converge in Accra on May 30 for another protest.