Government may not be able to meet its objective of increasing agricultural yields under its flagship programme, planting for food and jobs.
This comes on the back of concerns of some farmers who are anticipating low yields over the lack of effective participation of training from government.
Government as parts of efforts to increase yields in the agricultural sector and create jobs introduced the planting for food and jobs alongside the subsided fertilizers for farmers.
But speaking on Agriculture at the Ghana Economic Forum, CEO of Kofi and Vinyo Company Ltd, Kofi Vinyo said farmers may find it difficult to pay government monies amounting fifty percent subsidized fertilizer given to them as part of the programme.
“I doubt we the farmers will be able to pay the remaining fifty percent of the input because we definitely will not get the expected yields”
He added that lack of training from government would not only result in low yield but make local farmers uncompetitive.
“Farmers have not been given training so they do things on the field anyhow and when it happens like that how do we meet the standards of the international market, how do we produce enough because my experience there is still so much we have to learn”
Meanwhile Deputy Agric Minister Sagri Banbangi has hinted of Government’s plans to partner with the Counsel for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to improve the country’s seed production.
“We are also partnering with the Counsel for Scientific research, specifically the crops research institute and the savannah agric research institute and then the grains and legumes development board to ensure that we improve upon the production of foundation seeds after the grains have been developed” he said.
It follows the challenges the ministry faced in providing enough improved seeds to farmers in the take off to the planting for food agenda instituted by government earlier this year.
Mr. Sagri Banbangi further told Citi Business News his outfit will ensure an improvement in seed supply adding that they will sustain private seed growers to ensure constant seed supply.
“Then we will also support some private seed growers so that we will have an improvement in seed supply next year.
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By: Anita Arthur/ Jessica Ayorkor Aryee/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana