40,000 fertiliser bags not enough for farmers nationwide – PFAG

The Executive Director of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), Bismark Nortey, has urged the government to engage fertiliser manufacturers and suppliers to help reduce market prices, arguing that free fertiliser distribution alone will not meet the needs of millions of farmers across the country.

His comments come at a time when the Ministry of Food and Agriculture recently distributed 40,000 bags of inorganic fertiliser and five agricultural drones to PFAG under the Feed Ghana Programme to support smallholder farmers and boost agricultural productivity.

Speaking in an interview with Channel One News, Nortey stressed that the quantities currently available remain inadequate compared to the growing demand from farmers nationwide.

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"We know that the government's policy this year, when it comes to fertilisers, is free distribution. However, there's a challenge because not all farmers will be able to access it," he said.

Nortey explained that although district agricultural offices and constituencies are receiving fertiliser allocations, the volumes remain insufficient relative to Ghana's estimated farming population of about three million people.

"We are looking at around three million farmers, and you can imagine the burden on government coffers if it has to supply over three million bags of fertiliser," he said.

He therefore called on government to work closely with fertiliser producers and suppliers to make the commodity more affordable for farmers through market-based interventions.

Nortey argued that lower fertiliser prices would provide much-needed relief to farmers who are already grappling with market challenges, produce gluts and limited access to capital.

"We all know the challenges our farmers are facing regarding access to markets, produce gluts and their inability to raise enough capital," he added.

ANAS/MA

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