That Ghana possesses a very high fertility land for food production and other agricultural products for commercialisation; and yet periodic scarcity of food to feed the people, hunger and suffering do visit the land, cannot be disputed or denied by any sincere authoritative agricultural expert.
Why this situation is so in the promised “Canaan Land” of Ghana characteristic of the Biblical Israel’s time of the great prophet of God, Moses, beats rational thinking and reasoning.
In my opinion, there are a number of factors that are accountable for this unfortunate situation in Ghana’s “Promised Land”.
This article seeks to identify a few basic negative factors that are responsible for the Ghanaian situation in the context of abundant food production for the feeding of the people at all times; and to offer prescriptive measures for the remedy of this unfortunate Ghanaian situation.
In my opinion, the most basic primary factor that is identifiable in the Ghanaian situation for lack of abundant food production to feed the people at all times without exception, is the lack of foresight and strategic planning by the authorities of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture; lack of a blue print strategy by bureaucrats and technocrats to ensure abundant food production at all times to feed the people and even export for foreign exchange for the generation of revenue to boost Ghana’s economy. There are well established agricultural faculties in three reputable state universities; University of Ghana, Legon, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Cape Coast University and furthermore, quite recently, the fourth well-established state university, in the University of Development Studies, Tamale.
A country highly endowed with a land of very high fertility and yet cannot produce abundant food for home consumption and for export to earn foreign exchange for the boosting of Ghana’s economy is something that constitutes a paradox!
General Kutu Acheampong, one time head of state of Ghana’s practical-oriented action during the period 1972 – 1975 in terms of Ghana’s potential for food production is a clear testimony of Ghana’s land being “Milk and Honey”.
The famous Operation Feed Yourself (OFY) programme which General Kutu Acheampong launched immediately assuming the reins of Ghana has gone down in the annals of the country as unprecedented in terms of food production. There was excess food supply to adequately feed the people of Ghana and to export food to earn foreign exchange for the boosting of Ghana’s economy.
After General Kutu Acheampong highly successful Operation Feed Yourself food production programme in the early 1970s, Ghana had backslided and become wanting in food production and supply.
The next primary basic factor which militates against abundant food production for the country is the prevailing difficult and inflexible land tenure system. The land tenure system of Ghana must thoroughly be reviewed and restructured with the aim of making it flexible and easily available to all prospective agricultural practitioners to venture into extensive farming for food production. The most up to date modern method of mechanised farming with irrigation for food production to replace the old fashioned and primitive ways of farming with hoe, cutlass, shifting cultivation, etc.
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture should initiate and lead a country wide agricultural revolution characteristic of the kind which took place in Europe between the 14th and 15th centuries to put agricultural business on a very high pedestal in the country.
At this stage, it will be of interest to digress a little by making reference to a recent public statement by Dr Ibn Chambas, former Minister of Foreign Affairs in the erstwhile PNDC government of Jerry John Rawlings of blessed memory that “Ukraine and Russia cannot be bread basket for Africa”.
Yes! Dr Ibn Chambas has rightly hit the nail on the head of African countries including Ghana, who are fabulously naturally endowed with land fertility and inexhaustible naturally resources; and have great potential for abundant food production for the feeding of the masses, and yet depend on European countries and elsewhere for their food supply. What a paradox and shame for Ghana and the other African countries to be in this unpalatable situation!
As the star of Africa with great destiny, Ghana must revisit the era of General Kutu Acheampong’s rule of the country and adopt Kutu Acheampong’s strategies for abundant food production and improve upon some of them to become abreast with the most up-to-date modern strategies for the production of abundant food for the country and for export.
I state categorically, that Ghana possesses a land of “Milk and Honey” and that there is no justification whatsoever for Ghana to be depending on European, Asian and elsewhere countries for her food supply to sufficiently feed the people.
In order to produce abundant food to meet the needs of the country and even to export food for the county. I will advocate for the following pragmatic and efficacious measures to be taken by the authorities.
Government must involve itself more deeply than it is doing now in the agricultural sector for food production. Government must therefore see to it that chiefs release large tracts of their stool lands on easy and soft conditions to all prospective people including university graduates in agriculture, who will like to venture into food and agriculture production.
Government must invest more heavily for the supply of tractors and other relevant machines to farmers to replace the old-fashioned ways of hoe and cutlass farming.
Government must give soft loans to university graduates in agriculture and other category of persons who will venture into food production and agriculture.
Government should devise an effective country-wide education programme to educate the people on the importance of eating local food products such as rice, beans, yams, cassava maize, etc. This habit will enhance the market potential of farmers and motivate them to produce more food for home consumption and for commercial purposes.
Agriculture should feature prominently and emphasized on in the curriculum and syllabi at the basic and secondary levels of Ghana’s education ladder.
Money spent for annual best farmer awards should be diverted into the expenditure for the offering of soft loans to university graduates in agriculture and other categories of persons desiring to go into Food and Agrculture production.
Government must invest more than it is during now in irrigation methods of farming.
Government must encourage all healthy and able-bodied people to practise backyard gardening characteristic of General Kutu Acheampong era of rule of Ghana.
In conclusion, I believe firmly that if the forgoing prescriptive measures that had been articulated in this article will be taken seriously and adhered to, there will be abundant food production in the country for food supply to meet the needs of the country at all times for home consumption and even for export; and there will be no occasional food shortage in the country to bring about hunger and suffering to the people.
Ghana is indeed a land of “Milk and Honey” and Ghanaians must be awakened to the realisation of this truth beyond any reasonable doubt, and with very hard work; especially in the agricultural sector, so that the country can accelerate on her developmental pace to bring about great economic growth, development
BY: MICHAEL AKENOO
