Accra: The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) has initiated the distribution of 40,000 bags of fertiliser to smallholder farmers as part of the Government's Feed Ghana Programme. This initiative aims to bolster food production by ensuring timely access to essential agricultural inputs for farmers during the current planting season.
According to Ghana News Agency, the fertiliser, allocated by Mr. Eric Opoku, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, is being disseminated nationwide through PFAG's regional and district structures, ensuring timely delivery to farmers. The Association has developed structured modalities post-delivery to guarantee an equitable, transparent, and accountable distribution to all members across operational districts.
Mr. Bismark Owusu Nortey, Executive Director of PFAG, expressed gratitude to the Minister for the timely provision of fertiliser. He emphasized that this intervention is crucial for the current planting season and is expected to significantly enhance the yields of their members. Mr. Nortey further stated that the initiative would boost the productivity of smallholder farmers and contribute to national food security.
Fertiliser allocations have been made based on district-level membership figures to ensure a proportionate and needs-based distribution process. At the district level, district chairpersons and executives are responsible for receiving and coordinating the distribution of fertiliser to community members. Special provisions have been made for women and youth farmers, with dedicated allocations managed by the National Women's Organiser and the National Youth Organiser.
PFAG, with over 500,000 members nationwide, has established clear eligibility criteria for selecting beneficiaries at the district level. The Association is compiling comprehensive beneficiary data for submission to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for verification and record-keeping. Mr. Nortey called for the continuation of the farmer group distribution model by the Government, describing it as an effective and accountable method for delivering agricultural inputs.
He urged the Government to extend this model to other agricultural inputs and services and provide direct support for farmer groups to aggregate and supply food produce to state institutions. Mr. Nortey also appealed for adequate market support measures, expressing optimism that the timely availability of fertiliser, along with favourable weather conditions, would increase yields and provide reliable markets for farmers' produce this season.