Commercial Farmer appeals to President Mahama for subsidized Agric inputs

A leading commercial farmer in Ghana’s northern belt, Alhaji Mashud Mohammed, who also serves as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cudjoe Abimash Farms, has called on President John Dramani Mahama to urgently reduce and subsidize agricultural inputs to support the country’s agribusiness sector.

Alhaji Mashud made this appeal during a tour of his farmlands in the Northern Region, where he highlighted the numerous challenges farmers face, particularly the high cost of agricultural inputs and production.

According to him, the agricultural sector remains the backbone of Ghana’s economy, and with the right policies, the country can not only achieve food security but also export surplus produce to boost national revenue.

He emphasized that inadequate rainfall and limited access to water have been major setbacks for farmers. To mitigate this, he has personally dredged 16 rivers for irrigation purposes and procured irrigation spraying guns to support his farming activities.

Alhaji Mashud urged the government to take agriculture seriously by investing in infrastructure, providing affordable inputs, and ensuring policies that support farmers at all levels. He believes that with the right interventions, Ghana can become self-sufficient in food production.

Farmers across the country continue to face difficulties in accessing fertilizers, pesticides, and other essential inputs due to rising costs. Many have expressed the need for government intervention to make farming more profitable and sustainable.

Alhaji Mashud also called on the government to restrain security agencies from purchasing imported rice, particularly from India, and instead focus on procuring locally produced rice to strengthen the agricultural sector.

In 2022, Cudjoe Abimash Farms supplied the Buffer Stock Company with over 50,000 units of food items. However, Alhaji Mashud criticized the government’s restrictions on soybean exports, describing them as unfair. He called for clear policy guidelines that would enable farmers to produce more and earn a fair income.

Reflecting on the company’s achievements, he noted that Cudjoe Abimash Farms was recognized as the National Best Farmer in 2021. He attributed this success to hard work and dedication, which led to the government acknowledging and rewarding the company.

Currently, Cudjoe Abimash Farms employs 51 permanent staff members and 1,000 casual workers. The company is also a pioneer in conservation agriculture in Ghana. Initially, experts from Argentina were skeptical about the feasibility of conservation agriculture in the country, but the farm has successfully implemented the practice, proving its effectiveness.

Alhaji Mashud highlighted the company's efforts in vertical integration, which combines animal farming and processing to ensure a sustainable feed supply for livestock and poultry.

Despite these achievements, he noted that conservation farming faces financial constraints, while infrastructure deficits, including poor roads and a lack of dams, continue to hinder agricultural progress in Ghana. He stressed that if these challenges were addressed, Ghana could become a leading agricultural powerhouse in West Africa.

To enhance irrigation, the company has purchased mobile sprinklers to ensure a consistent water supply for farming activities.

As part of its corporate social responsibility, Cudjoe Abimash Farms has supported 40,000 women in the northern belt by providing them with logistics and agricultural inputs to help them reintegrate into farming. Alhaji Mashud expressed his pride in this initiative, which aims to empower women and contribute to the growth of the agricultural sector.