Presidential hopeful George Twum-Barimah-Adu has announced an ambitious agricultural policy to revolutionise Ghana’s farming landscape.
As Ghana gears up for the 2024 Election on December 7, candidates are articulating their platforms, with a keen focus on sectors like agriculture, often hailed as the backbone of the nation’s economy.
Dubbed “Agric for Wealth,” Twum-Barimah-Adu’s policy aims to transform agriculture into a lucrative venture for farmers across the nation.
Speaking to a gathering of smallholder farmers in Navrongo, Upper East Region, he emphasised the untapped potential of Ghana’s agricultural sector, citing diverse crops, favourable climates, and rich farming heritage.
However, he lamented the historical neglect of the sector by previous administrations, citing misplaced priorities.
Highlighting the challenges faced by farmers, particularly in the northern regions due to climate change-induced issues like erratic weather patterns and prolonged droughts, Twum-Barimah-Adu underscored the urgent need for innovative solutions.
His “Agric for Wealth” initiative proposes mechanized irrigation systems, temperature-controlled warehousing, and the issuance of warrants for agricultural produce, promising to bolster the sector, enhance yields, and foster sustainable agricultural enterprises.
In addition to these measures, Twum-Barimah-Adu outlined complementary strategies such as access to affordable financing, promoting cooperative farming, and implementing pension and housing schemes tailored for agricultural workers under the E-Sika policy.
He emphasized that his approach diverges from previous policies that relied heavily on middlemen or aggregators, asserting that “Agric for Wealth” is the much-needed game-changer poised to bring prosperity directly to Ghanaian farmers.