Government receives last tranche of $96m machinery to boost farming productivity
The government of Ghana through the ministry of Food and Agriculture has received the third tranche of the Brazilian government consignment of a 96 million dollar loan facility provided to support planting for food and job.
The Minister of food and agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto who received the consignment here in Accra was optimistic that the equipment will go a long way to boost the productivity of agribusiness in Ghana.
Dr. Akoto said the machinery had attracted a subsidy of 40 per cent to support the farming industry, saying this decision was made under Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo government.
‘The third tranche is worth $30 million, the composition of equipment is harvest, post-harvest and value added’, Dr. Akoto revealed.
Meanwhile, some farmers have expressed their worries that the initiative which seeks to make farmers comfortable in their procurement of farm equipment may be interfered with by political colours.
Speaking to Citi News, the president of the concerned farmers association, Nana Boateng Bonsu says the sector ministry should ensure that the ordinary farmer has access to the initiative.
The president of the concerned farmers association revealed that this is not the first time the government is bringing out such policies to aid the agriculture industry but unfortunately, such intervention lands in the hands of party troopers.
‘The initiative by the ministry is a laudable idea, we realize that when such things happen, it is very difficult for the farmers to have access to them, it is the political farmers who gets into it, they have the money to buy,
‘Government taking the 40% is quite appreciable but the 60% will be hard for a peasant farmer to afford. I suggest that the ministry gives this equipment to the peasants on credit bases, Nana Boateng Bonsu said.
Source: Ghana Business
