Ghana’s agricultural sector is facing strain across multiple value chains, the Minority in Parliament has said, following a five-day tour of cocoa-growing communities in the Ashanti Region.
Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh says the tour revealed that challenges confronting farmers go beyond cocoa, with emerging concerns in the cashew and rice sectors.
“We are sustaining this until the needful is done by this government,” he told Asaase News at Bepoase in the Afigya Sekyere East District on the final day of the tour.
“It is not just about cocoa. We are hearing cashew is also becoming a big matter. That of local rice too we hear of a big glut and we have to also be seen to have the interest of these farmers,” he added.
According to him, the findings from engagements with farmers point to broader structural issues in the agriculture sector, including market access challenges and post-harvest losses.
He said the Minority would continue to mount pressure on the government to respond to the concerns raised, signalling a sustained campaign expected to run through the end of the year.
The tour, which covered key cocoa-producing enclaves in the Ashanti Region, was aimed at gathering firsthand accounts from farmers, many of whom expressed frustration over pricing, declining returns and limited support.
The Minority argues that without urgent intervention, the growing strain across cocoa, cashew and rice production could undermine farmer confidence and threaten livelihoods in rural communities.
Source: asaaseradio.com
