New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has pledged to make agriculture a national security priority if elected President, citing challenges facing rice farmers and the need to strengthen Ghana’s food security.
Speaking to rice farmers at Asutsuare in the Shai-Osudoku District, Dr Bawumia said his proposed government would adopt a more deliberate approach to agricultural development, given the sector’s importance to national survival and economic stability.
He identified difficulties accessing fertiliser, inadequate irrigation infrastructure and the lack of reliable markets for locally produced rice as some of the challenges requiring urgent attention.
Some farmers who interacted with him said they had taken loans to expand production but were struggling to recover their investments because buyers were not purchasing their produce.
Dr Bawumia said Ghana needed to move beyond promises and implement policies that would give farmers the support and market access required to increase production and earn sustainable incomes.
He called for the completion of Phase Two of the Kpong Irrigation Scheme, saying improved irrigation infrastructure would help expand rice cultivation and strengthen domestic production.
The NPP flagbearer also proposed that schools and other public institutions be supplied with locally produced rice to provide farmers with a more reliable market.
He argued that such an arrangement could help absorb local production, improve farmers’ incomes and reduce the country’s dependence on imported rice.
His proposals come amid concerns about unsold stocks of locally produced rice and Ghana’s continued reliance on imports, despite efforts to expand domestic production.
Dr Bawumia maintained that treating agriculture as a strategic national priority was necessary to strengthen food security and improve the livelihoods of farmers.