The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana has called on the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to resolve an impasse that threatens critical agricultural interventions. Executive Director Bismark Nortey warned that farmers could ultimately pay the price for the ministries’ disagreement, urging a return to the negotiating table and a clear implementation plan for irrigation projects and other programmes.
Mr Nortey said the dispute should not undermine efforts to improve agricultural productivity. “When two elephants fight, it is the ground that suffers, and in this case, it is the farmers who are bearing the brunt of the impasse between the two ministries,” he said.
The call comes amid concerns over Ghana’s withdrawal from the World Bank‑backed West Africa Food System Resilience Programme, which was set to support several interventions, including the rehabilitation of major irrigation facilities. Nortey highlighted plans to rehabilitate four major irrigation sites that farmers have waited years for, noting that commitments date back to 2005 with no significant progress to date.
He described the potential cancellation of the project as a major setback for smallholder farmers who rely on irrigation infrastructure, especially where rainfall patterns are unreliable. “It’s very unfair to the smallholder farmer,” he added.
The association urges the ministries to establish a clear roadmap that considers current challenges facing farmers, warning that continued delays could deepen frustration among those who have already waited years for promised infrastructure. “It’s a big disappointment to the farmers and the farmers cannot always take this lying,” Mr Nortey said.
Resolving the impasse, the association argues, is critical to protecting agricultural investments and ensuring smallholder farmers do not lose out on interventions designed to improve productivity and food security. The next step will be to see whether the ministries agree to sit at the negotiating table and deliver a concrete plan for the irrigation projects and other interventions.
