Gov’t halts new rural road contracts as Agriculture Minister orders immediate use of DRIP equipment

Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku

Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has ordered the immediate deployment of earth-moving equipment acquired under the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP) for the construction of farm roads nationwide.

In a decisive move to prioritize the development of agricultural infrastructure, Mr. Opoku announced that all districts will receive fuel support to power the DRIP machines, ensuring they are put to their intended use without delay.

Speaking to journalists in Kumasi on Sunday, June 15, the Minister disclosed that the government is placing a temporary moratorium on awarding new road contracts in rural areas in order to focus on utilizing the already available equipment.

“What we intend to do is to provide all districts with the financial resources to fuel the machines and use the available equipment to develop access roads. This will make it easier to transport food from farms to communities without any difficulty,” he said.

Mr. Opoku revealed that some officials had begun preparations to award fresh road construction contracts in rural communities, but he swiftly intervened to halt the process.

“Just last week, some people were preparing to award contracts for the construction of roads in some rural communities. I asked them to stop because we already have the equipment. All we need to do is provide them with fuel and let them go to work,” he added.

The Minister’s directive is being seen as a bold push to cut waste, prevent duplication, and accelerate road access for farmers struggling to move produce from farms to markets. Stakeholders in the agriculture sector have long decried the poor state of feeder roads, which continues to hamper food transportation and contribute to post-harvest losses.

By mobilizing resources around DRIP and suspending new contracts, the Ministry aims to maximize the impact of existing assets while ensuring greater transparency and efficiency in rural road development.