BIG MONEY FOR FERTILISER & SEEDS: GHANA GRABS $81.92M TO FIGHT DROUGHT
In a disclosure made in Parliament, Eric Opoku, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, said that Ghana has received a total of $81.92 million from the World Bank under the Food System Resilience Programme in order to provide assistance to agricultural inputs and to bolster food security. According to his explanation, the financing will be used to purchase 117,188 tonnes of fertilizer (NPK urea) that is valued at 75 million dollars, as well as 3,266.5 tonnes of rice and maize seeds that are valued at 6.9 million dollars, which will be sent to farmers in areas that have been impacted by drought, namely in the northern regions. In response to inquiries from members of parliament, Mr. Opoku said that the financial outlay for these inputs was made by the administration that was in power prior to the present government taking office. He also pointed out that it is not only fertilizer and seeds that are capable of mitigating the effects of drought. He emphasized the importance of efforts that are now being taken to alleviate the effects of drought, which include the construction of dams that are powered by solar energy, the building of new dams, and the repair of dams that already exist in order to provide support for farmers throughout the whole year. According to the minister, the factors that influence food security in the event of a possible worldwide pandemic include baseline agriculture stocks, supply chains, trade, and reaction capability. The minister also said that three to six months’ worth of strategic grain reserves are recommended by international standards. He went on to say that the government of Ghana has provided the National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) with the necessary resources to purchase and store extra grain, so guaranteeing that farmers have a consistent supply of food and a reliable source of income. It is the government’s intention to make a similar pledge in the 2026 budget.
