As the country celebrates farmers today, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has joined hands to congratulate farmers and fishers for their hard work in ensuring food security in the country.
"The NPP is particularly appreciative to our farmers and fishermen during this era where the fortunes of our Agricultural sector under the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government are dwindling", sad a release signed by Perry Okudzeto, the party's Acting Communication Director.
The party condemned the ruling NDC for failing to implement promises made its manifesto in the run up to the 2012 elections.
The promises, according to the NPP, include modernisation of agriculture, as well as ensuring that living standards of farmers are improved.
The NPP observed that the policies in the NDC manifesto, if implemented. cwuld spur on agricultural growth have not been implemented.
"Growth in the agricultural sector, under this government, dropped from 7.2% in 2009 to 5.3% in 2010. In 2011 agricultural growth hit an all-time low of 0.8%, and could only increase by a meager percentage to 1.3% in 2012", the party said.
The imposition of taxes on agricultural implements, unreliable supply of inputs to farmers, the politicization of the mass cocoa spraying exercise, and insufficient budgetary allocation have all contributed to the dwindling fortunes of Ghana�s agricultural sector, according the NPP release.
"The delay in paying cocoa farmers their due is unjust and an act of misplaced priority on the part of this administration. It also portrays the government as one that spends resources on unprofitable ventures to the detriment to the very crop that has brought fortunes to the country", said the NPP.
The party notes that the over concentration on the oil sector to the detriment of Agriculture is also worrying.
The NPP believes that if the government can spend half of the allocated GH�32.58 million earmarked for capacity building (Workshops and seminars) on our farmers, the benefits will be enormous for the growth of the economy.
"We urge the NDC administration to take major measures to turn around our poor agricultural performance in recent years, if the country is to avoid social and economic disaster. We also urge the government to commit itself to modernizing agriculture to enhance food security and reduce income variability for farmers and fishermen in the country", the party admonished.
"The transformation and modernization of the country's agriculture to enhance productivity and guarantee food security and self-sufficiency are the vital issues of our time. With the necessary support and incentives, the NPP is confident that the Ghanaian farmer will be up to the task.
"The only way we can guarantee that the majority of Ghanaians have improved living standards, is to ensure that there is significant productivity improvement in agriculture, food security, and economic prosperity for farmers", said the party.
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