NPP says 1,500 fertiliser bags are inadequate to address farmers’ challenges
Former NPP Communications Director says farmers need broader and more sustained support measures beyond the distribution of 1,500 bags of fertiliser per constituency.
The former Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Navrongo Central Constituency, Daniel Kansake, has described the government’s plan to distribute 1,500 bags of fertiliser to each agricultural constituency as inadequate to address the challenges facing farmers.
Speaking on the Big Mike Breakfast Show on Friday, July 10, Kansake acknowledged the importance of government support for the agricultural sector but argued that the proposed allocation falls short of what is needed to significantly improve farm productivity and food production.
According to him, the country’s agricultural challenges require more comprehensive interventions than the distribution of 1,500 bags of fertiliser per constituency.
“The issue of 1,500 bags for our farmers is nothing we should celebrate. The challenges confronting our farmers are enormous, and they go far beyond what 1,500 bags of fertiliser can address,” he said.
Kansake traced Ghana’s fertiliser subsidy programme to the administration of former President John Agyekum Kufuor, stating that the initiative was introduced to reduce the cost of fertiliser and make farm inputs more affordable for farmers.
He maintained that while fertiliser distribution is a positive intervention, government should strengthen existing support systems by expanding access to subsidised farm inputs and implementing broader measures to improve agricultural productivity.
“The essence of the fertiliser subsidy programme was to cushion farmers against the high cost of farm inputs and boost food production. If we are serious about transforming agriculture, our farmers need far more comprehensive support than the current allocation,” he stated.
Kansake further called on the government to fulfil its broader agricultural commitments and ensure that interventions under the Feed Ghana Programme deliver meaningful and measurable benefits to farmers across the country.
Mike 105.3FM I Navrongo | Elizabeth Apusaama
