The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana has urged the government to prioritise food processing, export development and agricultural infrastructure under its proposed US$10 billion New Economy Policy.
Executive Director Bismark Nortey said the policy must tackle longstanding structural challenges in the sector to improve productivity, expand value addition and create sustainable economic opportunities.
He highlighted that investments in storage facilities, irrigation, mechanisation and marketing systems are critical to unlocking the sector’s potential.
The government plans to invest US$10 billion over five years in nine key sectors, including agriculture and agribusiness, with an expected US$2 billion annually to accelerate job creation and growth.
Mr Nortey welcomed the inclusion of agriculture and agribusiness but called for clarity on the specific interventions planned for the sector, warning that "any economic policy that does not have agriculture and agribusiness at the heart of it is a non‑starter and it’s bound to fail."
He argued that investment must go beyond boosting food production to establish effective systems for storing, processing and marketing agricultural produce, noting that processing surplus food for export could reduce post‑harvest losses and create additional markets for farmers.
Mr Nortey also urged the government to address barriers that discourage young people from entering agriculture, such as limited access to land, mechanisation and digital infrastructure, saying that overcoming these constraints would make the sector more attractive to youth and strengthen its capacity to support jobs and growth.
The Association is seeking clarity on how the New Economy Policy will relate to the existing Feed Ghana programme, questioning whether the new policy would complement the programme or provide the framework for its implementation.
A clear outline of the planned interventions, the Association said, would help farmers and stakeholders understand how the government intends to address the sector’s challenges and ensure lasting benefits for farmers and the wider economy.
What comes next will depend on the government’s response to these calls for a more agriculture‑centric approach to the New Economy Policy.
