Give us a Youthful Agric Minister with Experience - Peasant farmers tell Mahama

Jan 11, 2025 - 13:42

Accra, Ghana - 11 Jan, 2025 - The Peasant Farmers Associationof Ghana (PFAG) has called on President John Dramani Mahama to appoint a Minister for Food and Agriculture who is not only youthful but also experienced in the sector.

The ideal candidate, they say, should possess a strong agricultural background, relevant experience, and the ability to connect with stakeholders across the value chain.

In a statement congratulating President Mahama on his inauguration, the peasant farmers expressed their readiness to support smallholder farmers and drive agricultural growth. They are confident that under President Mahama's leadership, smallholder farmers and the agricultural sector will achieve significant progress.

The Association also urged President Mahama to uphold his commitment to the Presidential Pact against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey. They want the President to enforce bans on mining activities in forests, farmlands, and river bodies, and to implement a comprehensive land reclamation plan for damaged farmlands.

"We humbly request that you nominate a Minister for the agricultural sector who possesses a strong agricultural background, has the experience, is affable, youthful, and has the ability to connect with stakeholders across the value chain.''

“Farmers are looking forward to working with a Minister who is effective, approachable, and understands their concerns and challenges,'' portions of the statement read.

Furthermore, the peasant farmers highlighted the importance of the Pwalugu Multi-Purpose Dam, which has the potential to address climate change issues and provide an additional 20% to 30% of agricultural GDP when properly implemented. However, they alleged that the dam has been mismanaged by the previous regime, serving as a conduit for extortion and corruption.

The Association commended President Mahama for prioritizing accountability under the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL) initiative and urged him to conduct a thorough audit of the Pwalugu Multi-Purpose Dam. They also requested a budgetary allocation to commence construction of the dam within the President's first 120 days in office.

“The Pwalugu multi-purpose dam has the potential to address climate change issues and provide additional 20% to 30% of agricultural GDP when properly implemented. However, the dam has been used as an avenue for extortion by the previous regime without accountability.

Recognizing that an audit of the Pwalugu Multi-Purpose Dam is part of your agenda to ensure accountability under the Operation Recover All Loot (ORAL), we urge you to ensure that any illegal funds are recovered and returned to the state. Additionally, we request a budgetary allocation to commence construction of the dam within your first 120 days”, ithe statement added.

Below is the statement from the PFAG.