Farmers in Bono East and Ahafo welcome Feed Ghana Programme

Some farmers in the Bono East and Ahafo Regions have welcomed the Feed Ghana Programme, with a call on government to expedite action for the full implementation of the programme.
 
Describing the Feed Ghana initiative as “a subsidy in disguise” the farmers told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in separate interviews that the proposed establishment of the Farmer Service Centres (FSCs) under the programme implementation was a laudable idea.
 
President John Dramani Mahama launched the Feed Ghana initiative to create sustainable employment, accelerate transformation of the nation’s agricultural sector to boost domestic food production and ensure food security for rapid economic growth and development.
 
The farmers noted that the FSCs would enhance access to agro-inputs and services that would reduce manual labour and enable them to engage in commercial farming.
 
Mr Abdul Mumin Saeed, a rice farmer at Mim, in the Asunafo North Municipality of the Ahafo Region told GNA that he was highly optimistic that the FSCs would provide the opportunity for farmers to easily agriculture inputs and machines like tractors, planters and combine harvesters to expand their farm work.

“The establishment of the FSCs is laudable because it will help improve food productivity and enhance quality crop yields,” he stated.
 
He said with extension services, mechanisation, market linkage, warehouse, and silos, as well as ready markets farming would become more attractive for the youth.
 
Mr Zachary Abdulai, a farmer at Goaso, the Ahafo Regional capital, said farmers required in-depth knowledge in modern farm practices, amid climate change impacts.
 
He said with modern agriculture inputs and readily available financial support and ready market for produce, the socio-economic livelihoods of farmers would be enhanced too, saying, farmers required subsidies to reduce the cost of production and widen their profit margins.
 
Mrs Gifty Fremah Appiah, the Nkoranza South Municipal Director of Agriculture commended the government for the Feed Ghana programme that would enhance agricultural productivity.
 
She told the GNA on the sidelines of a farmer-field visits at Nokoranza that with available soil preparation machines, plows, planters and combine harvesters as well as spraying machines and other harvesting tools, the farmers would be motivated to expand their economic activities.
 
Mrs Appiah said farming was seasonal, saying it was often difficult for farmers to access private services like land preparation and planting at the right time and that affected annual crop yields in the area.
 
“Besides because those service providers charge exorbitant fees, many farmers are unable to afford to hire them,” she stated, saying the establishment of the FSCs would relieve the farmers of some economic burdens.
GNA