The Upper East Regional Director of Food and Agriculture, Alhaji Zakaria Fuseini, has dismissed fears that the government’s failure to supply farmers in the region with fertilizer and seeds under the new Feed Ghana Program will negatively affect food productivity this season.
Farmers in the region have been lamenting the unavailability of fertilizer since the launch of the program in April. According to them, many had to spend significant sums to buy inputs on the open market, while others cultivated without fertilizer, fearing a poor harvest. This has fueled concerns that productivity may be compromised.
Speaking exclusively to A1 Radio, Alhaji Fuseini admitted that no fertilizer under the Feed Ghana Program has reached the region so far. The only stock distributed earlier in the year was a small quantity leftover from last year’s support package for farmers affected by a dry spell.
“As we speak now, no fertilizer in the name of Feed Ghana has come to the region. Except for the small quantity that we’re able to store, that’s after last year’s dry spell. Some support was given in the form of fertilizer. So those were the ones we distributed out, and that’s exactly what helped our farmers in a way. But as to whether the actual Feed Ghana, their fertilizer, or its fertilizer has come, I would say no,” he stated.
Despite this, he maintained that food productivity will not be hampered.
“Every day, we keep on teaching our farmers that before they go into farming, they need to plan. So, unless the external decision is not coming, then you have to make your own plan. I’m doing five acres, reduce it to two. So that the remaining three acres, you can use them to buy seed. You can use it to buy fertilizer. You do not necessarily rely solely on the government. Productivity doesn’t only depend on the size of land cultivated but on the practices adopted to increase yields per unit area. With the right knowledge and improved practices, farmers can still achieve good harvests,” he explained.
He cited the Department’s partnership with the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMET), which provided weather forecasts and helped extension officers reach every farming community at the beginning of the season. Farmers were advised on rainfall patterns, dry spells, and proper land preparation. Those who followed the advice, he said, are already seeing positive results.
Alhaji Fuseini also pointed to interventions against fall armyworm and farmer training on the use of local solutions, such as neem extracts to protect crops. “Thanks to the improved rainfall pattern and our collective efforts, crops have largely recovered. Rice farmers especially should expect a bumper harvest this year,” he added.
The Feed Ghana Program, introduced this year to replace the government’s flagship Planting for Food and Jobs policy, seeks to enhance food security, stabilize prices, and attract more youth and women into agriculture by providing seeds, fertilizer, mechanization, and value chain support.
While farmers await the promised inputs, the Regional Agric Director urged them to plan independently and avoid overreliance on government support. He said if the fertilizer eventually arrives, it can be stored and used judiciously during the dry season farming period.
A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Bolgatanga
