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Association of Farmers and Fishermen says agriculture’s share of the “New Economy” must translate into irrigation, roads, market access and ownership by farmers
Ahead of the presentation of the 2027 Budget, the General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Farmers and Fishermen, Abutu Kapori, speaking on ADOA TV A.M Ghana Show has urged the government to ensure that the agricultural component of its “New Economy” agenda is practical, youth-focused and driven by farmers themselves.
Speaking in a pre-budget interview, Mr Kapori described the coming budget as a “paradigm shift” and said agriculture stakeholders expect a great deal from it. He credited the 2026 budget with delivering tangible results, noting that a drastic fall in foodstuff prices followed its implementation. He expressed confidence that the new budget would build on this.
Motivating the youth
On the New Economy theme, Mr Kapori said the budget must define how young people, particularly the educated, will be motivated to take up agriculture full-time. He observed that farming in Ghana has historically been associated with older people and those without formal education, while many graduates are reluctant to enter the sector. He called for the agricultural component to be geared towards youth involvement.
Practicality over pronouncements
Commenting on the commercialisation and processing of agriculture, Mr Kapori stressed that policy must be matched by action. “If you speak the issues and you are not able to translate your ideas into action,” he said, the people will not have been served. He listed the association’s expectations:
- Irrigation dams to enable year-round vegetable production for local and export markets
- Solar-powered irrigation in areas where dams cannot be built
- Feeder roads linking farming communities to market centres
- Fair pricing for agricultural produce
- Government absorption of backlogs of stored maize, rice and other produce that farmers cannot sell
- Complete value chains, for example cassava, from farm to market, processing, packaging and value addition
Farmers to own the process
Asked what other policy issues the association hoped to see addressed, Mr Kapori said one stood above the rest: that farmers should own the process. He argued that agricultural policy should be led by farmers themselves rather than by people with no interest in, or knowledge of, agriculture.
Budget context
The Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, presented the 2027 Budget to Parliament on Thursday, 12 November. The commercial agriculture pillar of the New Economy programme will receive $3 billion, and the budget sets a target to end commercial rice imports by 2030.