The Presdient of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), Mr Mohammed Nasiru, has lauded government�s intention of subsidizing the cost of fertilizer by 50%.
However the problem on the agricultural sectors goes beyond that. He noted land, weedicide, pesticide and storage facilities, are also vital. He said, for effective food production, social services such as water and healthcare and the wellbeing of farmers should be focused. According to Mr Nasiru, roads leading from farming communities, poor irrigation sites that are not rehabilitated, is a threat to peasant farmers productivity. Mr Nasiru made the comments at the launch of report on the coupons� system of distributing subsidized fertilizer to small scale farmers, in Accra.
The repot of the research recommended early distribution of coupons and fertilizer, increased accessibility of coupons to farmers and expediting refund to distributors and their agents, among other things. In his remarks, the Director of Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PPME) at the Food and Agriculture Ministry, Mr Ram Rhaunani, noted that, the current 57 mechanization centres in the country are not enough to ensure a mechanized agricultural system in the country. He recommended the setting up of mechanization centres in the districts with its full complement to ensure food security.
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