NPP GOVT ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE AGRIC SECTOR,UNPRECEDENTED ACHIEVEMENT - MR.KPODO

Agriculture is the king-pin of Ghana's economic development. It is recognized as such in all Ghana's previous development plans and the poverty reduction strategy documents since NPP assumed office.

The main vision of the NPP Government is a modernized agriculture culminating in a structurally transformed economy and evident in food security, employment opportunities and reduced poverty.

The policy of the NPP Government is to modernize agriculture to accelerate rural development. This NPP policy is expected to lead to high growth and the structural transformation of the economy. The policy will also maximize the benefits of accelerated growth. This translates to a targeted growth of 6% for the crop and livestock sub-sector, forestry & logging at 5%, fisheries at 5%, and 8% for the cocoa sector.

The NPP Government since assuming office in 2001 has worked hard to bring massive and real growth in this sector as shown below.

YEAR GROWTH RATE
2000 2.1%
2002 4.4%
2006 6.5%

This growth has translated into major increases in food production and has helped Ghana achieve self-sufficiency in most of the staple food crops including yam, maize, plantain, cocoyam and cassava, etc.

INCREASE IN COCOA PRODUCTION
The NPP Government has achieved growth in food and agriculture by raising productivity. A typical example is the doubling of cocoa production since assuming office as shown below.

YEAR COCOA PRODUCTION (metric tons)
2000 350,000
2006 750,000

The NPP Government's policy of MASS SPRAYING (which created about 50,000 jobs in the cocoa growing areas), and the application of SUBSIDISED FERTILIZERS has doubled the average yield per acre of cocoa, a remarkable achievement. Additionally, the NPP Government has increased producer prices four-fold. This has boosted cocoa farmer's income to a level not seen since independence; as shown below. A Comparison of prices paid to farmers for a 64kg bag of cocoa before and after NPP assumed office is as follows:

YEAR PRICE PAID
2000 GHc21.7 (c217, 000)
2008 GHc102 (c1, 020, 000)

It must also be emphasized that before 2000, the previous government paid BONUSES in 1992 and 1996 ONLY. However, the NPP Government in comparison has paid SIX BONUSES in the last seven years. It is now the policy of the NPP Government to pay BONUSES twice every year. A total of c608.2 billion bonus payments have been made since 2001 when NPP assumed office. In order to improve crop yields, the NPP Government has also REDUCED by 50% the prices of fertilizer paid by small farmers. The fertilizer NPK (15:15:15) was reduced from GHc52 to GHc26 per bag. Small scale farmers are also being supplied with farm inputs on credit.

FARM LANDS IRRIGATION
The NPP Government has embarked on the rehabilitation of all the large irrigation dams in the country. This is to provide more water to ensure the possibility of planting two crops per year in many farming communities; especially in the north. The NPP Government has rehabilitated ten (10) seriously deteriorated irrigation facilities. They include Weija, Aveyime, Afife, Sata, Kpando Torkor, Mankessim, Tanoso, Akumadan, Subinja, and Bolgatanga. This has increased the total crop area from 922 to 2,326 hectares. In addition, the Tono Irrigation Project Rehabilitation will be completed in 2008. Other NPP Developments since assuming office in 2001 are as follows:

· Eighty(80) new small Dams and Dug-outs
· Twenty-two(22) New Pumping Schemes along major rivers

· Five Hundred and Thirty( 530) hectares of valley bottom sites for the production of 5,670 tons of paddy rice

· Importation of twenty-three(23) Drilling Rigs to support groundwater abstraction for irrigation in seven(7) regions

· Provision of eight hundred (800) portable pumping machines in the three (3) northern regions to facilitate irrigation farming in the dry season.

· Feasibility study for the Accra Plains Irrigation Project

· Revision of the Kaanbaa Irrigation Project in Lawra

STORAGE and PROCESSING
The NPP Government, mindful of post-harvest handling and losses, has installed Processing Facilities to process more cocoa, fruits, and tomato. It has also rehabilitated a number of Warehouses for the storage of grains during harvesting. Strategic storage locations of stock include Ejura, Wenchi, and Sunyani

FARM MECHANISATION
The NPP Government's commitment to the mechanization of agriculture cannot be understated. The NPP Government has imported the following equipment to assist in the mechanization process since the assumption of office in 2001:

· 2,052 new Tractors with Implements
· 400 multi-purpose Threshers
· 30 Mechanical and Solar Dryers
· 20 Oil Palm and Sheabutter Processing Machines
· 30 Fruit and Vegetable Processing Machines
· 1600 pieces of Vari-mini lower capacity Tractors
· 326 Power TillersThe NPP Government has also established nine (9) Mechanization Service Centers across the country to improve farmers' access to mechanization services. This is especially welcome for the farmers who cannot afford to own agricultural machines. Since assuming office, the NPP Government has also reduced POVERTY LEVELS in the agriculture sector (farming population) from a high of 51.7% in 1999 to 28.5% in 2005. This is a remarkable achievement!

FISHERIES
The fact that a new Ministry of Fisheries has been established by NPP Government goes to underscore the importance it attaches to this essential source of protein. It is improving infrastructure, enhancing investment, and providing support to small-scale fishermen. The Ministry has encouraged AQUACULTURE and is providing support as follows:

· Construction of fourteen (14) Fishing Harbors along the entire coastline including Western, Central, and Greater Accra Regions. The harbors will have landing sites, areas for mending nets, fuel depots, administration blocks, fish markets, power stations, net storage sheds, and day care centers

· Construction of twelve (12) Fish Landing Sites along the entire coastline stretching from Keta to Axim. The landing sites also include Ada, Teshie, Winneba, Senya Bereku, Gyamani, and Dixcove

NOTE: This report is an extract from the Ministry of Agriculture (Agricultural Sector Plan), Government of Ghana Budget Statements (2003-2007), and the NPP Manifesto

These are facts available to me and views from readers are warmly welcomed.