Today in History: Buy your raw materials from Ghana - Agric Minister tells importers

On June 2, 2022, the then Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, entreated importers of organic fertilizer to buy their raw materials from Ghana.

The move, he said, will boost the business of local producers of the said products.

Read the full story originally published on June 2, 2022 by www.ghanaweb.com.

Demand for organic fertilizer rising

Russia-Ukraine conflict affecting imports

Prices of fertilizer increase

Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto is urging importers of organic fertilizers to start patronizing their raw materials from local sources.

This according to him will boost efforts being made towards the production of more organic fertilizer even as imports have been distorted due to the Russia-Ukrraine crisis.

Farmers have in recent times, a shortage in the supply of fertilizers and the increment in their prices as well.

The Agric Minister noted that government is working to support the use of organic fertilizer in the country.

He was speaking after touring the Accra Compost Recycling Plant.

“We are appealing to some stakeholders we met who are importing organic fertilizers. We have told them the policy is to encourage their partners abroad to come and set up here to use local organic material as input. Because we have a lot of it. We have in the savannah belt, forest belt, middle and southern parts of the country, a whole lot of materials that can be used as input.”

“And the government is committed to ensuring the right structures are set up to support the use of organic fertilizer. We have to look within ourselves to replace the shortage we are experiencing, and the answer is organic fertilizer,” he added.

The Minister also noted that the current demand for 600,000 metric tons of organic fertilizer far outweighs the demand for inorganic fertilizer of 30,000 metric tons reason it is prudent for Ghana to boost its production of organic ferilizers.