The Ghana Trade and Livelihood Coalition (GTLC) is worried that Ghana’s agricultural sector may continue to lag in research and development behind its peers because of the lack of political will and financial commitment to address the pressing concerns of research and development institutions.
Speaking to A1 Radio in Bolgatanga, the Executive Director of GTLC, explained that over the years successive governments had starved organisations like the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The effect of this, he explained, is that Ghana continues to resort to basic technologies and low yielding and non-diseases resistant seeds and planting materials.
Mr. Akalbila said he had expected the 2022 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to deal with the situation but that did not happen. He called on the government to commit at least 1 percent of total national revenues to resource research organisations.
“Effectiveness is missing in our agricultural system. We [GTLC] have always stated that if we don’t commit resources to research and development organizations like CSIR to create the knowledge, to generate the knowledge, to generate the skills, to generate the innovations and competencies that are needed in agriculture, no amount of money we put there will go to waste,” he explained.
He called on the government to discontinue subsidies and rather consider looking at credit facilities for farmers. He said when credit facilities with low rates would be more accessible than the subsidies.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
