Due to the rising costs of maize production, there are strong indications that farmers may limit their production of maize or stay away from the crop entirely in favour of crops that are cheaper to grow. Soyabeans and other legumes are possible alternatives for the farmers who would stay away from the production of the maize crop.
The Director of Operations at Antika Farms who doubles as the Executive Council Member for the National Seed Trade Association-Ghana (NaSTAG), Seidu Abdulai Mubarik shared these concerns when he spoke on A1 Radio’s Day Break Upper East.
“Farmers are going to switch from producing more maize to [producing] soybeans. Soyabeans cultivation does not really require much fertilizers as compared to maize production. A lot of the things we are projecting to happen in the agricultural sector would happen this year but the impact would be felt next year”.
“If things go on like this, it is not going to be so easy for us next year,” he stressed.
Speaking on the same platform, Mr Mubarik expressed worry about the increasing prices of fertilizers and other agro-inputs.
“The reality is that there would not be enough. Even if there is enough, that would be artificial enough. That is to say that fertilizers would be available but farmers cannot afford to buy. Currently, prices of fertilizers are escalating. Even before the planting season sets in, some prices of fertilizers are selling above Ghc400”.
“For an acre, you need a minimum of 4 bags so you are looking at over Ghc1,600. Expectations are that it may go above Ghc450, Ghc500 by the time the season sets in. On the other hand, it is not only the fertilizer”.
“The agrochemical industry is also suffering the same. The prices of agrochemicals are shooting up so much that we do not even know what is happening there. Now, glyphosate, what we popularly call ‘condemn’ is now more expensive than the selective weedicide that we have. That used to be the cheapest for farmers who wanted to do zero tillage,” he explained.
He said the prices of the chemical have moved from Ghc18 per litre to Ghc45 per litre in less than a year.
A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
