Parliament’s Agric committee Chair defends GH¢1.5bn budget allocation

The Chairman of Parliament’s Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs Committee, Godfred Seidu Jasaw, has defended the government’s GH¢1.5 billion budgetary allocation to the agricultural sector in the 2025 budget, arguing that it presents strategic investment opportunities despite concerns over its adequacy.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, March 19, the Wa East lawmaker acknowledged that the allocation appears lower than in previous years but emphasized that the government’s priority should be building infrastructure to ensure long-term sustainability and growth in the sector.

Jasaw urged the public to actively contribute to improving the agricultural sector, stressing that efficient management and targeted investments could yield significant benefits.

However, the Chief Executive Officer of Agri-Impact Limited, Daniel Fahene Acquaye, expressed concerns that the GH¢1.5 billion allocation is insufficient given the sector’s pressing needs.

He highlighted the urgent need for increased investment in productivity, mechanization, irrigation, and food security, warning that the current budget may not be enough to drive substantial progress.

In response, Jasaw countered that the focus should be on maximizing the impact of the allocated funds through strategic investments and partnerships with the private sector.

He maintained that efficient use of resources, rather than just the size of the budget, would be key to advancing Ghana’s agricultural industry.

“There is a limited resource envelope that the Minister of Finance can allocate to all the competing sectors and now what is the status of allocations in history to the sector? The [Government of Ghana] GoG component is the GH¢1.5 billion and if you look at that, it appears to be smaller as compared to what we witnessed in the 2024 budget but if you go to the analysis of it, you will appreciate why this one is likely to have better value because the investments in the last allocation had GH¢700 million for Planting for Food and Jobs and the rest of it went into compensation.

“Frankly, I see the allocation quite low but as I said, what we need to do is how the Minister and the managers of the sector are going to turn round the goodwill, court investors, define our priorities in infrastructure for agriculture to be able to turn around the opportunities that the sector presents now.”