Adnan Adams Mohammed
Government’s efforts to tackle Ghana’s food security challenges with the launch of its Feed Ghana Programme have met with significant stakeholders concerns.
While some are optimistic of the outcome, others are skeptical fearing the usual political interference could derail efforts in the right direction. The Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association (GAPFA) has expressed strong confidence in the Feed Ghana Programme, describing it as a transformative initiative capable of significantly enhancing Ghana’s food systems.
However, the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) is calling on the government to avoid political interference in the rollout of the newly launched Feed Ghana Initiative. According to the Association, political involvement in the distribution of agricultural inputs under the previous Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) Programme—particularly in its second phase—significantly undermined the programme’s impact. They fear a repeat could jeopardize the success of the current initiative.
“Now that we’ve transitioned from PFJ to Feed Ghana, we must avoid the mistakes of the past. Political interference must be completely ruled out,” the PFAG Executive Director Bismark Nortey said in an interview last week following the launch of the Feed Ghana Initiative. “The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has competent technical staff at the national, regional, and district levels who are capable of managing this programme effectively. Let’s allow them to lead. Politicians should take a step back.”
PFAG believes that empowering technical experts rather than political appointees is key to ensuring the sustainability and success of agricultural policies in Ghana.
Spearheaded by President John Dramani Mahama, the Feed Ghana Initiative is a cornerstone of the broader Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda (AETA). Its objectives include modernizing farming practices, increasing food production, improving agricultural infrastructure, and establishing agro-industrial zones across the country.
The initiative also aims to generate employment, reduce food inflation, and promote national food self-sufficiency.
Meanwhile, President of the Executive Council of the Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association (GAPFA), Anim-Somuah noted that the programme arrives at a critical time, as organized farmers are actively seeking opportunities to scale up their operations and boost productivity.
“As farmers, we have positioned ourselves to embrace this opportunity, expand our farms and feed this country. It is not beyond our scope or horizon to do this,” he stated.
According to Anim-Somuah, GAPFA is not just any farming group, but a well-established force in Ghana’s agricultural landscape, with a dynamic network of around 800 active poultry farmers. In addition, many non-members frequently rely on the association for their poultry-related needs.
“We can help in this direction, because the Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association can pride itself on being the largest organized poultry farmer association in Ghana. We can boast of the greatest membership,” he noted confidently.
In a sector often dominated by men, GAPFA also distinguishes itself with one of the largest women farmer groups in the country—an asset that, according to Anim-Somuah, uniquely positions them to help drive the success of the Feed Ghana Programme.
“Our numbers give us strength. With them, we can support this programme and support it very well,” he emphasized.
Consequently, many economists have called on the government to prioritize agricultural productivity as a buffer against growing global trade tensions.
This comes after the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has just revised its global economic growth forecast for 2025 down to 2.8%, a notable drop from the 3.3% projection made in January.
The downward revision is largely attributed to escalating trade disputes—especially between the United States and its trading partners—stemming from new tariffs.
Among such economists is, Prof. Godfred Bokpin, who has shared his view that the current economic situation should be a turning point for Ghana to revamp its agricultural sector.
“If you look at Ghana, we’re not even producing enough to feed ourselves, let alone think about exporting,” Prof. Bokpin said. “We rely heavily on imports from countries like Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger—so there’s definitely room to grow.”
He emphasized that current challenges also present opportunities: “We have the potential to transform our economy through agriculture, agribusiness, and agro-processing. Once we achieve self-sufficiency, we can look toward exporting to neighbouring countries. Africa’s food deficit runs into billions of dollars—there’s a huge market waiting.”
