Food security: NPP throwing dust into our eyes - NDC

The National Democratic Congress (NDC’s) spokesperson on Agriculture, Henry Yamson, has said the governing NPP is deceiving the nation on its food security policies.

Speaking at the NPP government’s Building the nation update series, the Minister of Agriculture Owusu Afriyie Akoto, said the New Patriotic Party (NPP)  had improved the lives of farmers through its improved food security system.

“When we took over, only 120,000 farmers were benefiting from any subsidy on fertiliser. When we came in, our target was to choose 200,000 farmers around the country and start the program with them. At the end of 2017, we had 202,000 farmers beneficiaries of the subsidy of fertilizer on the improved seed. 2018 the number jumped to 677,000. In 2019 it went to just under 1.2 M beneficiaries and this year we project that 1.5 M people will benefit,” he said.

Speaking on Atinka FM’s AM Drive with host Ekourba Gyasi, Henry Yamson said the presentation by the Agriculture Minister was questionable.

According to Henry Yamson, the NPP is trying to paint a picture that falsely implies that Ghana is the food basket of Africa.

He added that the NPP has lost it when it comes to managing the country’s food security system.

“At the end of the day, we are doing this to give people food security. Food security is about access and access is about the price. But If you look at the food inflation trend in Ghana, it keeps going up, even in the midst of planting for Food and Jobs. In 2017, we crossed 8%, 2018, we crossed 9% and in 2020, we are around 15%. If we claim Ghana’s food security is that good, why are food prices out of control?” he explained.