Ignore Mahama’s food drought claims; we're expecting bumper harvest soon – Agric Minister

The Minister in charge of Agriculture, Hon. Osei Akoto Afriyie has rubbished claims by ex-Ghana president Mr. John Dramani Mahama that food drought is imminent in the country.

According to him, contrary to the unfounded claims, food will be in excess by the close of the year due to the bumper harvest farmers are expecting in the next few months.

It comes after Mr. John Dramani Mahama said while on his ‘Thank You’ tour this week the country could experience famine in 2021 over the failure of government’s planting for food and jobs initiative.

“I have a brother who is into farming, and he tells me government has yet to supply farmers with fertilizer this year, and so he had to buy it himself.

“The cost is very high, which has forced him to reduce the acres he is planting from 300 to 80, and the effects of this are that there could be famine in Ghana next year because the planting for food and jobs has failed,” the ex-president said.

Reacting to the claims in an interview on Asempa FM on Thursday, Agric Minister Hon. Osei Akoto Afriyie says he is only peddling lies that could cost the NDC dearly.

“I’m sure he is the only person in the country saying Planting for Food and Jobs have been a failure. He must be careful with talks like that because the Volta Region where the NDC get most of its votes has been one of the biggest beneficiaries.

“Anybody in Ghana and abroad are praising Ghana and if he is the only one who does not see he should be there. What he is saying is not true,” the Minister for Agric said.

Hon. Osei Akoto Afriyie added, “This year we are expecting a bumper harvest. By December you will not hear any farmer complaining that they are not getting maize. I want to assure Ghanaians that we will get food this year…. By October, November, December you will never hear of any complaints…Mahama does not tell the truth. He is always making things up.”