The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) has raised concerns about inconsistencies in the implementation of the second phase of the government’s Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) policy, which they claim are detrimental to farmers. According to PFAG, these issues are causing significant disruptions in agricultural production.
Former Executive Director of PFAG, Dr. Charles Nyaaba, emphasized the need for the private sector to take the lead in the programme’s inputs distribution and implementation. “The master-aggregator being MoFA is not ideal for implementation. This is because, once the ministry is distributing inputs, farmers will not pay,” Dr. Nyaaba stated.
The association argues that for PFJ 2.0 to be sustainable, politicians should step back and allow technical directors in the ministry to handle the project’s implementation. They also highlighted the need for transparency in the process of distributing inputs to selected farmers. PFAG has expressed disappointment with the current system and called for the government to provide clear criteria and procedures for selecting beneficiaries, to prevent hoarding and politicization of the programme.
PFAG recommended that MoFA use funds intended for inputs to strengthen the National Food Buffer Company, Ghana Commodity Exchange, and other stakeholders to enhance food security. They suggested that MoFA should focus on marketing and supporting farmers with guaranteed markets for their produce. “When such is done, these stakeholders can offer guaranteed prices and store the produce in government warehouses to tackle food insecurity and prevent food price hikes during lean seasons,” Dr. Nyaaba added.
The association revealed that as of June 2024, about 80 percent of farmers had not been registered under the programme. This situation is causing anxiety among farmers, who are unsure about where and when they will receive farm inputs such as fertilizer and seeds, with the planting season fast approaching.
National President of PFAG, Wepia Awal Addo, expressed concerns over the lack of communication and support for farmers. He described PFJ phase II as uninspiring, noting that the agriculture sector has been neglected, with no direct investment in farmers. This neglect has also impacted plans to expand irrigation projects and improve road networks, further exacerbating the challenges faced by farmers.
