The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) has described the GH¢253million national budget allocated by government for the construction of the Pwalugu Multi-Purpose Dam as woefully inadequate.
Despite the association’s appreciation to the government for prioritizing irrigation, the Executive Director of PFAG, Dr. Charles Nyaaba, addressing the media at the Association’s Post-Budget Forum in Accra mentioned that, the amount allocated to Pwalugu is woefully insufficient for any meaningful irrigation development.
Aside the planned investment in Pwalugu, government said in 2023 it will spend an extra GH¢200million on irrigation infrastructural expansion, particularly in the Northern zone, he added.
According to Dr. Nyaaba, though the intended gesture proposed by government is good, but to him, it appears other parts of the country specifically the middle and southern parts are continuously left out of these investments.
“Farmers in the Volta, Oti, Central, Western and other regions are plagued with continuous reliance on rain fed agriculture, with little or no investment in irrigation.
“Government should expand these irrigation schemes to cover all irrigable lands in the country.”
Dr. Charles Nyaaba
PFAG Narrates To Government Why The Allocated Amount Is Small
According to PFAG, the aim for the construction of the Pwalugu multi-purpose dam was to contribute significantly in the country’s quest to ensure food security during the years to come.
However, aside the sod-cutting that was done at the site in 2019, construction of the estimated US$993million dam which was expected to be completed in 2023 is yet to begin, they indicated.
PFAG disclosed that, the anticipated multi-purpose dam is expected to provide an irrigation scheme covering an area of 25,000 hectares and improve water supply to the country’s Northern parts. Hence, the Association therefore considers the GH¢253million allocation to kick-start the project a good commitment from government but inadequate.
The association in its previous media engagements suggested government should prioritize agriculture during discussions with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), so as to devote a substantial amount of money from the bailout to constructing the dam.
“Since the dam construction will not only address flooding situations caused by the Bagre Dam and other concerns of farmers in the area, but also contribute significantly to the national food security agenda, government should invest well in it rather than just GH¢253million.”
Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture also revealed that, as part of government’s overall plan to develop Ghana’s irrigation system, government has been investing in agriculture mechanization, as it seeks to invest some US$29.9million next year to procure machinery and equipment to deepen modernization.
“Indeed, 25 percent of equipment supplied as part of this strategy has already been distributed to farmers.”
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture
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