Decentralise agriculture policies at local level for growth – CAG

The Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana (CAG), has said the neglect of decentralised agriculture at the local level, could affect flagship sector policies, including the Feed Ghana Programme (FGP), 24-Hour Economy Policy, land banks, nkoko nkitinkiti among others.

The Chamber noted that, when district agricultural services are weak, national policies struggle to achieve intended impacts with food security, youth employment, agribusiness development, and rural transformation goals getting compromised.

The Chamber therefore appealed to government to decentralise key agriculture sector policies to ensure growth at the local level.

CEO of CAG, Anthony Morrison, said disregard for decentralised agriculture weakens growth at the local and the national levels, as the sector’s challenge is not only about policy design at the centre, but also risks implementation failure if financing is inadequate at the local level.

The District Assemblies Common Fund (DACF), created under Article 252 of the Constitution, Morrison said, is the most significant source of discretionary funding for MMDAs as it was designed to promote equitable development by ensuring that local governments have access to national resources.

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However, the CAG explained that, the DACF framework has a fundamental flaw, as there is no statutory or protected allocation for agriculture.

This omission has far-reaching consequences, with District Chief Executives, faced with multiple competing demands, roads, classrooms, markets, sanitation, and administrative costs often deprioritise agriculture, not because agriculture is unimportant but because it has no legally protected fiscal space within the decentralised financing system.

“As a result, district departments of agriculture lack vehicles and motorbikes for extension work, funds for farmer training and demonstrations, and resources to support agribusiness and value chain development. Extension officers are often confined to their offices, unable to reach farmers consistently. This undermines productivity, innovation, and resilience, particularly in rural areas,” Morrison indicated.

Time for Policy Change

CAG clarified that if the country’s interest is about decentralisation and local economic development, then agriculture should not be treated as an afterthought in district financing, as concrete reforms are urgently needed.

The CEO suggests it is imperative for government to introduce a statutory minimum allocation of the DACF to agriculture, dedicated specifically to agricultural and agribusiness development at the MMDA level.

“Ring-fencing even a modest percentage of the DACF for agriculture would transform extension delivery, irrigation support, mechanisation services, post-harvest management, and value chain development,” he said.

The Chamber also advocates stronger accountability mechanisms. It explains that district composite budgets should include clear agricultural budget lines, and agricultural performance indicators should be included in MMDA and District Chief Executive assessments with agriculture being recognised explicitly as the engine of local economic growth.

Morrison stated that government should consider a more ambitious institutional reform, such as the creation of a Ghana Agriculture and Agribusiness Service (GAAS) within the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

“Similar to the Ghana Education Service and Ghana Health Service, GAAS would provide a dedicated institutional home for decentralised agricultural service delivery, with predictable funding, logistics, and career progression for staff,” he said.