Shortage of fertilizers in Volta Region is real – NDC to Agric Minister

The opposition National Democratic Congress in the Volta Region have taken on the Minister of Agriculture on his reaction to an earlier call by the NDC on shortages of fertilizers in the Volta Region.

In a statement by the Regional Communication Officer for the NDC, Mr Sorkpa K. Agbleze described the shortages of fertilizers in the region as ‘real and not an NDC propaganda’ as claimed by the Agric Minister.

The NDC Volta further expressed worry on the call by the Minister to stop the supply of subsidized fertilizer to small scale farmers in the country.

”This statement, in itself, is an admission of problems with the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ because the fulcrum of the planting for food and jobs is the supply of subsidized seedlings and fertilizers to farmers”.

‘Is it a vote of no confidence in the “Planting for Food and Jobs” programme?,
Sorkpa K. Agbleze quizzled.

Kindly find the full statement below

PRESS RELEASE
BY: VOLTA NDC
29TH SEPTEMBER, 2021

Response to the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto’s claim that fertilizer shortage in Volta Region is a sheer propaganda.

POLITICS OF FERTILIZER SHORTAGE IN THE VOLTA REGION: NDC PROPAGANDA OR NATIONAL REALITY?

When the NDC in the Volta Region first drew attention of the general public to the disturbing and worrying shortage of fertilizer in the Region, MOFA quickly and readily dispatched it as “NDC propaganda”. Unfortunately for MOFA, their response eventually admitted that there was critical shortage of fertilizer across the country and proceeded to acknowledge that the circumstances were beyond the control of MOFA.
A development that was described as NDC propaganda, suddenly becomes, a situation beyond the control of MOFA.
This is absolutely incredible.

We are appalled by the inconsistent response from the Minister of Food and Agriculture, a man who many Ghanaians see as a person that denies issues raised concerning his Ministry and later comes round to admit same.

One would have thought that with the concerns raised regarding the shortage of fertilizer, the minister would go to the farmers on the ground and find out the reality of their plight. On the contrary, the Minister chose the comfort of a meeting with his Regional Directors to say there is no shortage of fertilizers in the Volta Region.

The Minister of Agriculture and his Ministry seem to have a response template for anyone who tries to raise issues with fertilizer shortage in Ghana.

Reference can be made to the National President of the Peasant Farmers Association, Abdul-Rahman Mohammed, who said the reduction of fertilizer from 50% to 38% for farmers is having a toll on their production.
This was firmly refuted by MOFA as untrue and that there was no fertilizer shortage. This position notwithstanding, the Ministry went ahead to claim that “in May 2019, we distributed almost 60,000 metric tonnes fertilizers, in 2020, we gave 34,048 metric tonnes of fertilizers and in 2021, we sent out 21,996 metric tonnes of fertilizers”.(reference my joyonline.com). The figure presented by the Ministry clearly shows a sharp reduction in fertilizer. Thus confirming the shortage story of Mr. Abdul Rahman- Mohammed even though the Ministry claimed his narrative was untrue.

The Hon. Minister of Food and Agriculture is on record to have said that the shortage of fertilizer in Volta Region is an NDC propaganda yet in his response to access to fertilizer in the region, he went ahead to say “the fertilizers had only been restricted to vetted retailers in 26 border districts in the country, six of which were in the Region”. This is a clear confirmation that there is a reduction in availability and access to fertilizers in the Volta Region.

The Minister in his own response once again said “we are expecting that there will be shortage of fertilizer and of course that means that fertilizer prices are going up and up, which will mean that farmers will get less fertilizers applied at their fields”. This statement, one more time, confirms the fact as stated by the NDC about the shortage of fertilizers in the Volta Region.

The admission of shortage of fertilizers in the Volta Region is also evident in the response circulated by the PRO of MOFA calling on the various District Directors in the Volta Region to come so that they can solve the concerns raised by the NDC Volta regarding the shortage of fertilizers.

If the Minister says they are aware of shortage of fertilizers and his PRO also admits there is a problem, why then is he referring to the same issues raised by NDC Volta as propaganda? Or is the Hon. Minister of Agriculture inviting the District Directors to Accra to butress the NDC propaganda?

The Minister of Food and Agriculture should know that Volta Region is a land of upright people with deep sense of intelligence hence the farmers in the region will not engage in pedestrian and clandestine activities to claim there is a shortage of fertilizers if it is not true.

The NDC Volta can authouritavely say that some assembly members went in search of fertilizers and did not get, a member of parliament sent his people to get fertilizers for his farm and they did not get any to buy.

The shortage of fertilizers in the Volta Region is real and not an NDC propaganda.

The NDC Volta is equally alarmed by the call made by the Minister that they are going to stop the subsidized fertilizer to the small scale farmers in the country. This statement in itself is an admission of problems with the “Planting for Food and Jobs” because the fulcrum of the planting for food and jobs is the supply of subsidized seedlings and fertilizers to farmers. Is it a vote of no confidence in the “Planting for Food and Jobs” programme?

Signed:
Sorkpa K. Agbleze

(NDC Volta Regional communication officer)