A few days ago, my folks returned from the market with more complaints than goods.
Prices of tomatoes and peppers particularly have gone so high that they had to adjust the shopping list to accommodate the price hike.
Not many others are fortunate like them. The most horrifying tale from the market is that poorer Ghanaians are turning to rotten vegetables, specifically tomatoes and peppers.
Even more dangerous is that some of these buyers are food vendors who are buying fungi and bacteria-infested rotten veggies. What does this mean? More of compatriots who eat from roadside food joints, from waakye, kenkey to jollof, may be consuming food with questionable quality.
It didn’t then surprise me that kenkey vendors recently served a notice for the first time in the history of our republic that they would sell the pepper that gives kenkey a flaming companionship heading to our bellies.
After murmuring with the returnees from the market, I kept scratching my head over our flagship Planting for Food and Jobs. What happened? Why are food prices out of the roof after we relaunched the policy recently with speeches of hope that could feed the entire country?
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The PFJ initiative, launched in 2017, has been hailed as a transformative programme for Ghana’s agricultural sector. Designed to boost food security, create employment and alleviate poverty, PFJ provided farmers with subsidised seeds and fertilisers, along with improved agricultural practices.
However, recent trends in food prices suggest that the programme may be faltering.
A paradox
Despite a drop in overall inflation, the cost of food in Ghana has soared. This paradox prompts a critical evaluation of the PFJ initiative. Several factors contribute to this disconcerting trend, and understanding them is crucial to formulating effective solutions.
The government, in the recent past, blamed global supply chain disruptions arising from COVID-19 and the Russian-Ukraine war for playing significant roles. The availability and cost of agricultural inputs have been affected, straining the PFJ’s capacity to support farmers effectively.
Not to forget the unrestrained corruption that bedevilled the fertiliser distribution. Rising Petroleum Prices further exacerbate the situation by increasing transportation costs, directly impacting food prices.
Coupled with poor road Infrastructure, these issues make it difficult to transport goods efficiently from farms to markets. Climate Change adds another layer of complexity, with erratic weather patterns.
The government’s support for irrigation services has been more of lip service than work. Urban agriculture has virtually collapsed, as some of the significant irrigation investments in our peri-urban areas, including Weija, Tuba and Ashaiman, are on their knees. Encroachers have taken over almost all the sites.
For those willing to defy the odds and invest in urban agriculture, electricity prices have tied their hands. The poor urban consumer is bearing the cost of these shortfalls in the agriculture sector.
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Decisive action
To address these challenges, the government must take decisive action. High petroleum prices necessitate immediate relief measures such as subsidies or tax relief for fuel used in agriculture.
In the long term, investing in renewable energy sources in rural areas can reduce dependence on expensive petroleum products. Improving road infrastructure is another critical need. Immediate repairs to critical road networks connecting farming areas to markets should be prioritised.
By Dr Paul Kofi Fynn
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