Accra, May 30, (GNA) – The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), has presented Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to 22 Districts Department of the Ministry of Agriculture.
The PPE includes facemasks, veronica buckets, hand sanitizers, tissue papers, liquid soap, detergents, and other items.
A statement issued in Accra quoted Mr Charles Kwowe Nyaaba, the Head of Programmes and Advocacy at PFAG, as saying the donation was in partnership with the International Budget Partnership and Ghana Federation of Forest and Farm Producers.
He said the donation was in support of the training of over 300 Agriculture Extension Agents (AEAs) and some farmers in 36 districts per the World Health Organisation safety precautions for farmers to be able to carry out their farming activities with limited risk of contracting Coronavirus.
He said AEAs were crucial in supporting farmers yet they were not recognised as frontline service providers by government.
Mr Nyaaba expressed disappointment over the government’s neglect of smallholder farmers in the provision of support from COVID-19 Support Fund.
« Government failed in supporting farmers like it is doing for other frontline service providers. So far, there is no indication that Agric Extension Agents and agricultural workers have benefited from the COVID-19 support,” he added.
He said even with the GH¢600million credit for small businesses, smallholder farmers could not access it because they do not register their businesses, they do not have Tax Identification Number numbers.
He appealed to government to consider designing flexible support systems for smallholder farmers to access credit since they were already neglected from the formal financial institutions.
He cautioned that, without proper support mechanisms in place for farmers, Ghana risks becoming a food-insecure nation soon.
Mr James Adu, the Techiman Municipal Agric Director, who received the donations, lauded the initiative of the PFAG, saying it was timely.
He urged the AEAs to ensure that they increase their sensitisation activities as well as ensuring that farmers continue to take advantage of the numerous government interventions to increase their food production.
He further urged farmers to also take advantage of the government planting for the Food and Jobs programme to improve their food production and make Ghana food secure.
Nana Ameyaw Manu, the Vice President of PFAG, said the Association would continue to collaborate with government to ensure that Ghana is food secure.
Mr Daniel Yando, an Agric Extension Officer based in Techiman, said the training was very useful, adding that “It has equipped me with how to safely engage farmers without risking my own life and that of the farmers.”
GNA
CA/AD
May 30, 2020
