Upper East Regional Deputy Communications Director for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Andrew Atariwini, has acknowledged that while the proposed 1,000 Ghana cedis per hectare per farmer support may not fully compensate for the losses farmers have incurred, it serves as a crucial gesture of empathy and assistance.
He characterized the measure as a temporary intervention designed to alleviate some of the burdens faced by farmers, rather than a comprehensive long-term solution.
“It is an intervention of care, an attempt to empathize with the farmers, not necessarily a well-thought-out program that was executed,” he said. “Half a loaf is better than none.”
His remarks came after the Finance Minister requested approximately 500 million Ghana cedis from Contingency Funds to avert the looming food crisis in the country due to severe drought affecting farmers in some regions as a result of insufficient rainfall.
Mr. Atariwini highlighted that more substantial food production could have been achieved with a favorable rain pattern, especially in the Upper East Region.
However, he noted that while the support includes classifications for various regions, the impact might be less pronounced in the Upper East compared to other northern regions due to varying levels of crop loss. “Even though the minister classified the Upper East, I didn’t really see much benefit. Even if they are going to classify the Upper East and people are going to benefit from it, the impact will not be as significant because the number of farms lost in this region will not be as high as in other northern regions.”
“We should begin to understand that this is just a stopgap measure to cushion the farmers and to show them that the government empathizes with their situation,” he added.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Gifty Eyram Kudiabor|Bolgatanga
