In order to increase output and lower food prices, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the leader of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), has promised to provide farmers in Ghana with tractors and finance.
Dr. Bawumia recognized the critical role farming plays in guaranteeing food security and affordability during a campaign rally in Wa East.
He emphasized that the answer to lowering food prices is farming, and he promised to give farmers the tools they need to raise their yields.
In contrast to Ghana’s average production of four tons per acre, Dr. Bawumia referenced the examples of Brazil and China, where farmers produce 10 and 12 tons of maize per acre, respectively.
Dr. Bawumia committed to bringing cutting-edge farming techniques from China and Brazil to Ghanaian farmers in order to close this gap.
Additionally, he disclosed intentions to create “super aggregators” that would buy produce straight from farmers, guaranteeing them fair pricing and minimizing losses after harvest.
He also emphasized the value of applying lime fertilizers to increase soil fertility, pointing out that there is a lot of lime available in Ghana.
“I want to help our farmers. Farming is the key to bringing food prices down and we are going to help the farmers increase their productivity. If you go to Brazil, an acre of land, maize can come to 10 tons, in China they can get 12 tons, but in Ghana, we get only four tons.
“I’m going to apply the practices that we are seeing that have worked in Brazil and in China to our farmers in the Wa East District, to increase productivity.”
“We are going to establish super aggregators who will come and buy the produce from the farmers so that the food does not go to waste and they can get good prices for their goods.
“We are going to help the farmers with tractors and with credit for them to harvest and we are going to move from the normal fertiliser to lime, lime makes our soil very fertile, and we have lime in Ghana and we are going to help our farmers use lime in Ghana.”