Osahene Alexander Afenyo-Markin, a minority leader, has condemned the government’s mishandling of the agriculture sector, which has caused Ghanaian farmers immense suffering.
He emphasised that the government has not made the required investments to assist regional farmers and increase national output.
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Effutu and the Minority Leader said that the absence of priority investment in agriculture has greatly raised the cost of local output, favouring low-priced imports.
Osahen Afenyo-Markin urged the government to investigate why imported rice, frozen chicken, and other foreign agricultural products are still less expensive on the Ghanaian market after paying taxes and charges in a recent interview with TV3 on a variety of national concerns.
He argues that because they are unable to sell their produce at competitive prices, this concerning situation has rendered Ghanaian farmers poorer.
In order to keep local farmers competitive and lessen Ghana’s reliance on imports, the Effutu MP proposed that government policies offer incentives.
Osahen Afenyo-Markin stated that although he regards Mr. Eric Opoku, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, as an informed politician and skilled debater, he has not been impressed with the Minister’s performance.
“I respect Mr. Eric Opoku. He’s one strong debater, very knowledgeable, and I respect that. But I must say that as an Agric minister, he hasn’t impressed me,” he stated.
“If the government wants to tell me that it has taken agriculture seriously, I must see it in the budget. Go look at the 2025 budget. Go look at the 2026 budget. There is no serious investment in the agric sector,” he said.
The Minority Leader maintained that there is no significant investment in agriculture and contended that the national budget does not justify the government’s claims to do so.
Osahen Afenyo-Markin also voiced worries about the price of locally grown rice, pointing out that it is currently less expensive to import rice into Ghana than to purchase rice grown nearby. This indicates what he called “policy misalignment,” he said.
He explained that because imported rice is less expensive than locally produced alternatives, vendors under government programs like school nutrition and Free SHS frequently favour it.
“These suppliers buy from importers instead of buying locally produced rice because it is cheaper. If local producers grow and nobody buys from them, they run at a loss. The next season, they won’t produce again,” he reiterated.
The Minority Leader also lambasted the government for not making enough investments in domestic poultry production, claiming that even after duties are paid, imported poultry products are still less expensive than those made locally.
He maintains that this tendency deters domestic production and puts needless strain on Ghana’s economy and currency.
“You don’t sustain your economy through high dependency on imports. It is when local production becomes cheaper that you can say you are sustaining your economy,” he said.
The Minority Leader also emphasised how deeply disappointed cocoa farmers are with the government regarding farm gate prices.
He recalled that prior to taking power, the NDC had promised to raise cocoa prices from GH3,100 to more than GH6,000.
But after taking office, the NDC only raised the price to GH¢3,625 before lowering it, supposedly as a result of the commodity’s declining price on the worldwide market.
The government lowered the cocoa producer price for the 2025–2026 season by 28.6% on February 12, 2026, from GH¢3,625 per bag to GH¢2,587.
Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minister of Finance, stated that this decline was caused by a global price decline from more than $7,000 to about $4,100 per tonne.
According to him, the price cut was intended to handle liquidity concerns and guarantee that Licensed Buying Companies could continue making payments.
Osahen Afenyo-Markin, however, contrasted the current state of affairs with that of former President Nana Akufo-Addo’s government, pointing out that despite comparable volatility in the world market, cocoa prices were maintained.
The Minority Leader insisted that the issues being brought up transcend political politics and stated that his group has been interacting with farmers across to better understand their difficulties.
He stated, “Our focus has been to get to the grassroots, deal with ordinary people, and engage them.”
Osahen Afenyo-Markin finished by blaming the administration of mismanaging the economy over the previous 15 months and repeating that Ghana’s productivity and economic stability are still being threatened by inadequate investment in local industry and agriculture.
Source: newsthemegh.com