GAWU warns of possible food shortage over govt’s fertilizer subsidy programme
The Ghana Agricultural Workers Union [GAWU] is warning of a possible shortage of food this year due to government’s decision to reduce fertilizer subsidies.
According to the General Secretary of GAWU, Edward Kariwe, the Agric Ministry due to the decision by government, has been reluctant to provide even half of the fertilizers needed for food production.
“The problem is not just about today. We have a government policy that is going to create low output in 2022. We are where we are because we have decided to be where we are”.
“Farmers will be compelled to reduce the quantity of fertilizer to be applied as well as reduce the acreage of land they cultivate, hence food shortage is imminent next year. So far as agriculture is concerned, it is what we produced last year that we are consuming now,” Mr Kariwe stated.
He explained that the shortage of fertilizer faced by the country is not only attributed to the effects of the Russia-Ukraine war but instead, the inability of government to pay fertilizer suppliers.
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“Government couldn’t pay fertilizer suppliers last year; less than 25% of the government’s debt owed suppliers were paid. Government has been owing suppliers since time in memorial,” he added.
According to him, there was a fertilizer shortage last year when there was no Russia-Ukraine war, and there will be a shortage this year because the government does not have the money to buy the quantity needed plus prices of fertilizer will also go up due to global challenges.
“Prices are just going up, it has more than doubled. The subsidy should have even gone up by now. This is the time that the prices of fertilizer are going up globally and this is the time that the subsidy is seriously needed to go up.”
Describing some assertions made by the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, as an attempt to mislead the people, Mr Kariwe quizzed why the Minister for Agriculture failed to cite examples of crops under the Planting for Food and Jobs Programme but rather talked about plantain which is not under the programme while praising the success of the government in food production.
