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Report by Bernard K DADZIE
Arise Ghana, an interventionist civil society organization, has called on the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku, to prioritize accountability and long-term structures in the sector’s ongoing reforms.
The group outlined a 10-point agenda for the minister, urging him to: *Publish measurable annual targets* for all major agriculture programmes. Establish a transparent public monitoring system to allow citizens to track programme implementation.
Strengthen farmer databases* to eliminate ghost beneficiaries and improve targeting.
Expand irrigation infrastructure* and put clear maintenance arrangements in place.
Improve access to affordable agricultural finance*, especially for smallholder farmers and young agribusiness entrepreneurs.
Strengthen agricultural extension services* and equip extension offices with adequate logistics.
Improve agricultural marketing systems* to guarantee farmers reliable and profitable markets. Invest heavily in storage and agro-processing to reduce post-harvest losses.
Give women and young people a stronger role in agricultural programmes. Institutionalize agricultural reforms so that successful policies outlive political administrations.
At press briefing, Dramani Selorm Dzramado leading member of Arise Ghana urged Ghanaians to take a keen interest in agricultural policies being implemented by the government.
“Agriculture is not only the concern of farmers. It affects the price of food in our markets, employment opportunities for young people, the cost of living, industrial development, imports, exports, and Ghana’s overall economic stability,” the group said.
It called on citizens to demand evidence and monitor public agricultural programmes, while urging stakeholders to provide constructive feedback instead of politicizing interventions.
“Ghana has the land, human resources, entrepreneurial talent, and agricultural potential to become a major food-producing and agro-processing economy in Africa. What we need is consistency, investment, accountability, and long-term national vision,” Arise Ghana stated.
The group said its assessment shows the Minister for Food and Agriculture is “on track” and implementing policies ambitiously. However, it stressed that success will not be measured by the number of policy announcements, but by real impact.
“If farmers earn better incomes, if food becomes more affordable, if young people find decent jobs in agriculture, if Ghana reduces unnecessary food imports, and if agricultural production becomes more resilient and competitive, then the reforms would have delivered meaningful transformation,” the statement read.
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