The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) has issued a call for the government, development partners and private‑sector stakeholders to invest in affordable, practical and accessible agricultural innovations that address the challenges confronting smallholder farmers across the country.
In a statement released on October 16 to mark World Food Day, under the theme “Innovate today, nourish tomorrow,” PFAG stressed that innovations in irrigation, mechanisation, climate information, storage, processing and market access are essential to improving agricultural productivity, strengthening farmers’ resilience to climate change and ensuring food security.
PFAG noted that farmers themselves are innovators, drawing on generations of knowledge and experience in managing land, crops, weather conditions and local food systems. However, the association emphasised that such knowledge must be complemented by practical solutions that help farmers overcome production challenges, reduce losses and secure reliable markets for their produce.
Bismark Nortey, the Executive Director of PFAG, said agricultural innovations could significantly improve productivity and resilience if farmers were able to access and use them at affordable costs.
“Improved seeds, irrigation, climate information, digital extension, soil‑health practices, agroecology, storage and local processing can strengthen productivity and resilience. But these innovations will have limited impact unless farmers can access and use them affordably and connect their produce to ready markets.”
PFAG identified climate change as one of the major challenges facing smallholder farmers, particularly those whose livelihoods depend heavily on rainfall for crop production. The association cited the Kassena area of the Upper East Region, where prolonged dry spells and erratic rainfall continue to threaten crop establishment, reduce yields and undermine household food security. Farmers in such communities need timely and reliable climate information to help them make informed decisions about planting periods and other farming activities.
According to PFAG, investment in climate‑resilient agricultural practices would help protect farmers’ livelihoods while supporting efforts to maintain stable food production. The association called on all stakeholders to prioritise affordable, context‑specific innovations that can be adopted by smallholder farmers across Ghana.
What comes next is for the government and partners to respond to PFAG’s plea and channel resources into the development and deployment of low‑cost, practical agricultural technologies that can be readily adopted by the country’s smallholder farming community.
