The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has urged the government to promote and strengthen the use of organic fertilizer among Ghanaian farmers’, as this will help the farmers, especially the peasant farmers, to produce to feed the nation.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II further disclosed that chemical fertilizer is increasingly becoming inaccessible to farmers and expensive to purchase. Otumfuo made the request while addressing the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) during their annual meeting held in Kumasi.
“Fertilizer is very difficult to access and expensive to buy as a result of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, which are major producers and exporters of chemical fertilizers. The Russian and Ukrainian crises posed a threat to global food security, given the high cost of fertilizers, fuel, and other necessities produced from that part of the world. Smallholder farmers in the country played a significant role during the coronavirus pandemic and global geopolitics, putting a strain on all economies worldwide. It is, therefore, important for the government to support farmers to get used to organic fertilizers as they cannot continue to rely on chemical fertilizers amid difficulties in accessing them.”
Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II
The annual meeting was themed: “Building Back Better, Consolidating the Gains of Smallholder Farmers for Improved Food Systems.”
Otumfuo Osei Tutu called on the government to pay attention to peasant farmers since they were critical in improving its food systems. “High cost of inputs such as seeds and fertilizers, high fuel prices, continuous reliance on rain-fed agriculture infrastructure, have consistently impacted our food systems, and smallholder farmers have not been spared,” he stressed.
The Asantehene called on the Ministry of Finance to allocate more resources to support fertilizer industries, adding that Ghana cannot develop with the current approach of exporting raw materials and importation of finished goods. “Peasant farmers have held the fort in providing food for you, and they continue to do so even in these challenging times,” he said.
“We should learn from China and Israel. Why should we be importing and exporting raw cashew nuts and raw cocoa,” He interrogated. It is time the government venture into the irrigation of more dams across the country to ensure all-year-round food production,” he noted.
For some time now, a group of agri-stakeholders and farmer advocates have pressed the government to support local organic fertilizer companies to produce fertilizer for use rather than importing.
It can be recalled that the Agric Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie made it known to Ghanaians that the government is tirelessly working to address issues confronting farmers, especially smallholder farmers.
Organic fertilizer maintains balance in the ecosystem
In organic farming, the overall health of the soil and plants is the main concern, so while synthetic chemical fertilizers may do a job today, organic fertilizers ensure the health of the garden tomorrow. Organic fertilizers help to maintain balance in the ecosystems. It is relatively cheaper than inorganic fertilizer, improving soil structure, texture, and aeration, increasing the soil’s water retention abilities, and stimulating healthy root development. Organic fertilizer has many minerals, animal sources, sewage sludge, and plant.
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