The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) is pushing for the prioritization of agriculture policies to reduce the country’s $2 billion annual food import bill.

The Association argues that Ghana has the capacity to produce these food items locally but needs greater support in mechanized farming, all-year-round agriculture instead of rain-fed systems, and subsidies on agricultural inputs.

Acting Executive Director of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, Bismark Nortey, speaking to Citi Business News on the need for urgent policy interventions to transform the sector said, “Currently, one of the major causes of high cost of food is the fact that we are spending so much on production.

“We are spending so much on cost of input and agricultural services. These are because these things are so high. If the government can find a mechanism to either subsidize or reduce the prices of these inputs, then we can produce at low cost and that will translate into high productivity.

“If you go to a lot of farming districts they have no access to mechanization so we are still using the hoe and cutlass which is not helping.

“If we are able invest in agriculture-we are able to invest in small holder farming and infrastructure, I am sure the kind of monies that we spend on importing the food we have the capacity to produce…we are one step away from reducing our dependence on that food import,” he added.