Tamale NGO congratulates farmers

Tamale, Dec. 6, The Northern Ghana Aid (NOGAID), Tamale based international non-governmental organisation (NGO), has congratulated farmers especially award winners of this year's Farmers' Day, for their contribution to meeting Ghana's food requirement. "NOGAID would like to congratulate our hard working farmers and fishermen in the country on the 25th Silver Jubilee Anniversary of the National Farmers' Day here in Tamale for their relentless efforts to ensure that Ghanaians are well feed," Mr. Mustapha Sanah, Executive Chairman of NOGAID, told GNA in an interview after this year's National Farmers' Day celebration, in Tamale.

He called on government to increase investment in agriculture to ensure sustainable food security in the country. Mr Sanah said the fanfare associated with the annual celebrations was commendable but it had to be translated into workable investment in key areas of agriculture for sustainable food security in the country. He said agriculture potential of the country particularly the Northern Region was enormous but much had not been done in areas of access to low cost of credit facilities for farmers and the non-introduction of appropriate input to increase productivity.

Mr. Sanah expressed concern about the imposition of tariffs on food imports without the rapid corresponding investment in key agricultural areas with potential to increased local food production since it was likely to impact negatively on the lives of consumers who had no choice than to buy from the market.

He claimed that the restoration of tariffs, which were removed on imported food two years ago due to global food shortages would increase hunger in the country since much had not been done locally to increase food production.

Mr. Sanah said once farmers in the country received the necessary support and investment in areas of modern technology, low cost credit, technical expertise, the country stood the chance of exporting food. He said if comprehensive initiatives were put in place for farmers to increase production the country would celebrate "National Food Security Day". He said: "This is evident in the attempted subsidy on tractor services and fertilizer for farmers in the last crop season, which contributed to a bumper harvest this year in the three Northern Regions. 5 Dec. 09