Poor implementation of PFJ 2.0, low rainfall to deepen food prices - Farmers

The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana has bemoaned the poor implementation of the second phase of the Planting for Food and Jobs programme.

According to the Executive Director of PFAG, Bismark Owusu Nortey, the government under the PFJ programme promised to support farmers with the provision of land preparation services, mechanization, extension, harvesting and marketing services in addition to all input support including seeds, fertilizers, agrochemicals.

However, after several months of the launch, the farmers say none of these have been provided.

“To even make matters worse for the PFJ 2.0, there are several emerging issues that contradicts the original intent of the program, which we now believe is more politically motivated than a genuine intervention to provide relief for farmers. The abysmal registration process, characterized by several challenges made it difficult and demotivating for farmers to register.

“There is a lack of adequate extension officers to collect farmers’ data, inadequate logistics (tablets and motorbikes) to facilitate movement and bad timing of the process,” Nortey mentioned in a press conference on August 15, 2024.

It is in this light that he noted that if the government does not act swiftly, food prices may deepen and cause hardships in the country.

“The multi-burden of poor implementation of the PFJ 2.0, high input costs and low rainfall have the potential to derail farmers’ efforts and deepen the food crises currently experienced. The government, must as a matter of urgency, address the challenges with the PFJ 2.0 implementation for farmers and also deploy an emergency irrigation support scheme to provide water to recover what is left of the crops. Additional support to affected farmers to recover and rebuild is non-negotiable,” he added.

He concluded that “Farmers are suffering and if farmers are suffering, Ghanaians will also suffer. Help the Ghanaian farmer and save the Ghanaian economy.”

SSD/NOQ

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