The Minority in Parliament has accused the government of presiding over what it described as one of the gravest agricultural crises in Ghana’s recent history.
According to the Caucus, Farmers’ Day 2025 should compel national reflection rather than celebration due to widespread hardship in the agricultural and fisheries sectors.
In a strongly worded Farmers’ Day statement signed by the Leader, Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority also extended solidarity to farmers, fisherfolk, processors, and agricultural workers whose resilience continues to sustain the nation despite painful betrayals.
“Our farmers have shown extraordinary resilience in the face of catastrophic market failures, government inaction, and collapsing livelihoods,” the Minority leader declared.
Osahen Afenyo-Markin highlighted the grain market collapse, where over 1 million metric tonnes of paddy rice valued at GH¢5 billion remain unsold due to the government’s unfulfilled promise to guarantee purchases through the National Food Buffer Stock Company.
“Farmers have been left stranded. Their livelihoods have been jeopardised. National food security has been undermined,” the Minority added.
Fishing communities, particularly in Keta, were singled out as victims of government neglect following repeated shortages of premix fuel vital for artisanal and canoe fishing operations.
Osahen Afenyo-Markin stressed that a government that cannot ensure the reliable distribution of a basic input like premix fuel has failed in its most fundamental duty.
The Minority expressed solidarity with fisherfolk confronting depleted fish stocks, illegal fishing activities, and rising equipment costs.
Unprecedented development
In what the Minority Leader described as an unprecedented development, some major farmer associations boycotted the national celebrations, accusing the government of reneging on its commitment to buy their produce.
Protesting farmers in Tamale were reported to have carried placards asking, “The Government promised to buy every grain. Where are you?”
Politically connected importers
The Minority further accused politically connected importers of flooding the market with cheap, expired, or smuggled rice and fish.
The group warned that the combination of a strengthened cedi, low global grain prices, and unregulated imports has rendered local producers uncompetitive.
“No local farmer or fisher can compete with products that enter the country untaxed, unchecked, and unregulated,” Osahen Afenyo-Markin stressed.
Declining fortunes of cocoa farmers
The Minority Leader also expressed alarm over the declining fortunes of cocoa farmers as international prices fell sharply, nearly halving after record highs last year.
He cited over 30,000 hectares of cocoa farms lost to illegal mining, according to COCOBOD; communities suffering collapsed livelihoods, poisoned rivers, and degraded soils; and farmers abandoning cocoa for other crops or livestock.
Osahen Afenyo-Markin referred to a recent Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) alert, citing extremely high turbidity levels of over 30,000 NTU in the Ayensu River, far exceeding the 2,500 NTU treatable limit.
“We cannot celebrate Farmers’ and Fishers’ Day while our rivers die due to crass governmental incompetence,” the Minority leader lamented.
Call for agric modernisation
Osahen Afenyo-Markin underscored the need to modernise Ghana’s agricultural and blue economy through artificial intelligence and technology.
The Minority urged immediate and strategic investment in modern agricultural technologies, emphasising the need for AI-based pest, disease, and livestock diagnostics; drone-powered fertiliser and pesticide application; and precision agriculture supported by advanced soil analytics.
The caucus further called for digital fishery monitoring systems and marine forecasting tools to enhance sustainability and productivity in the fisheries sector.
Additionally, the Minority stressed the importance of modernised farmer and fisher service centres as well as the establishment of national AI-powered platforms for price prediction, logistics optimisation, and improved market access, arguing that these innovations are essential for transforming Ghana’s agriculture for the future.
“This is how Ghana becomes competitive. This is how we feed our people. This is how we build a future-proof agricultural and blue economy,” he said.
Urgent demands
The Minority outlined a series of urgent demands to the government, calling for the immediate purchase of unsold grain stock to stabilise farmers’ incomes, the restoration of premix fuel supply starting with Keta, and the strict enforcement of laws against smuggled and expired food imports to protect public health and local producers.
Osahen Afenyo-Markin further urged the government to implement strong measures against illegal mining and illegal fishing, expand funding for the Feed Ghana Programme, and provide subsidies and financing for modern farming technologies.
He emphasised the need for significant investment in irrigation systems, storage facilities, landing sites, cold chain infrastructure, and road networks to fully revitalise the agricultural sector.
“Ghana’s farmers and fishers deserve more than lip service. They deserve leadership that listens, values, and protects them. Your courage feeds the nation. Your resilience sustains our economy. Your labour strengthens our democracy. We honour you on this Farmers’ Day and reaffirm our commitment to fighting for your welfare,” Osahen Afenyo-Markin concluded.
By Osumanu Al-Hassan
