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Russia-Ukraine war has given farmers an opportunity to increase production – Inusah Fuseini

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Former Member of Parliament for Tamale Central in the Northern Region, Alhaji Inusah Fuseini has encouraged farmers in northern Ghana to take advantage of the Russia-Ukraine crisis to increase food production.

According to the former Roads and Highways Minister, the war which has had a devastating effect on the country’s imports means farmers, particularly those in the northern part of the country have to take advantage of the vast agricultural lands they are endowed with to increase food production.

In an interview on A1 Radio’s Daybreak Upper East Show on Monday, Mr. Fuseini, who is also the former ranking member on the legal and constitutional committee in parliament observed that the ability of the farmers to increase production would go a long way to curtail the skyrocketing of food prices on the market; adding that that could be achievable if the government commits sufficient resources to it.

“Let me encourage all farmers, what is happening in the world, particularly the Russia-Ukraine war is giving us the opportunity, particularly we Africans and more particularly farmers in the three northern regions or now five an opportunity to increase our production. But that will require government support. But we can be the food basket of the whole country and probably some countries in Sub-Saharan Africa if we channel our energy, our resources into developing agric,” he noted.

Mr. Fuseini was reacting to the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto’s reiteration that the country is not hit with food shortage presently.

Addressing staff of MOFA and farmers as part of his official tour of the Eastern Region, the minister blamed the extortionate increase of food prices on external factors such as the Russia-Ukraine war, but was quick to assure Ghanaians that the government was working tirelessly to mitigate the effects on the citizenry.

“There is no food shortage in Ghana as is being speculated, the food situation in the regions is enough evidence, however, we recognise that food is relatively expensive due to external factors”. He said.

In this regard, Mr. Fuseini posited that the current hike in food prices in the northern part of the country is a testament to the fact that there is scarcity of food in Ghana.

“ The statistical board has said that in the three northern regions, food inflation has gone up for about 37%. So, what does it mean? It means because we don’t have the food in abundance that’s why the price has gone up. It could be one of the reasons”, he added.

Touching on the depreciation of the Cedi, he stated that the pressure on it(cedi) is what has accounted for that.

He said the country’s continuous importation of cereals and almost everything to the country has contributed significantly to the cedi’s depreciation, adding that there is the need for farmers to increase production in order to arrest the situation.

Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Elijah Beyeni Yenibey|Bolgatanga

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