Increase effort being channeled into local production to sustain patronage of locally produced goods or food commodities even after the coronavirus pandemic, an agricultural economist suggests to government.
The advent of the novel coronavirus caused almost all countries around the world to engage in protectionism, Ghana inclusive. This led to majority of Ghanaians patronizing locally manufactured products and buying more of ingrown food stuffs.
As a result, coupled with the implementation of a lockdown, most Ghanaians engaged in panic buying which led to a spike in prices since demand was high. Notwithstanding, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie-Akoto, assured of abundance of food produce hence the need to relax.
Speaking in an interview with the Vaultz News, an agricultural economist, Dr. John B.D Jatoe indicated that for Ghana to maintain local patronage of goods, it has to look at meaningful ways of minimizing imports.
“One of the things to look at will be to maintain and probably increase the effort we’re putting into increasing or setting up local productions. Once we open back the economy, we look at ways of discouraging imports and that could be targeted, not that you’ll just get up and we’re talking about banning import of this or that.”
According to him, though he has no statistics, he maintains as an expert that, Ghana as a nation must find practical ways of discouraging imports so it does not affect her in the long run.
“No, we have to find some accessible ways of discouraging some of the imports so that we don’t end up going back to where we were…in terms of the discussion of how much was brought in and how much it has affected local production. Trouble is, I don’t have the statistics on what exactly is the amount or capacity of the local industry, farmer or producer to meet the local demand and is it really the case that if we were to cut down on the importation, it would not end up affecting us.”
However, Dr. Jatoe suggested an investigation of consumer preference. He said research should be conducted to find out if these are real changes or people are just being forced to because they’re thinking more about survival.
“The other part will be over time, as we operate under these covid restrictions, people patronizing the local good or the local food commodity, how do they feel? Are they yearning to go back to the foreign produce or they are comfortable? Over time, that will be one of the things that will be a good indicator of whether any attempt to discourage the import will be sustainable.”
