The 2009 National Best Farmer, Mr. Davies Korboe is describing as a “broken chain in the agric value chain” the placing of the Departments of Agriculture (DOAs) under the Ministry Of Local Government And Rural Development.
Mr. Davies Korboe, Chairman of the National Farmers and Fishermen Award Winners Association of Ghana (NFFAWAG) and board chairman of Farm Management Services Limited, FMSL maintains that such misplacement deserves a second look to address the anomaly.
Farmer Davies who said the common funds allocated to the various MMDAs was inadequate wondered how such paltry amounts can discharge additional responsibilities of providing the needed resources to the DOAs.
“The district assembly common funds allocated to the Metropolitan, Municipal District Assemblies, MMDAs and their Internally Generated Funds (IGFs) are not enough to some of them to carry out their social developmental projects such as building of schools, hospitals, toilets, let alone fixing agricultural development at the district level from their fiscal budgets,” he asserted.
The NFFAWAG Chairman while disclosing this in an interview with Omanba Kwadwo Boafo during the ‘Akuafo Se sen’ segment of the Rite Morning Ride noted that the various stakeholders, in the agric value chain, especially government ought to adopt a positive approach towards the development of agriculture in the country.
He stressed that there was the need for government to change some of its policies towards the agric sector especially considering moving the agric sector back to the Ministry Of Food and Agricultural (MOFA).
The 2009 national best farmer while advising farmers to change their attitude towards production by practicing agronomy also called on transporters, processors, researchers and others along the value chain to change their attitudes to enhance food security and sustainability.
According to the 2009 national best farmer, anything in relation to agriculture should involve the players especially the farmers and technocrats.
He regretted that the Fruit Flies Committee set up by the government to find solutions to the Black Bacterial Spot (BBS) and the fruit flies that attacked mango production was yet to come up with any solution to resolve the challenges.
Head of Extension Services Agrees
Concurring with the proposal, Head of Extension Services at the Department of Agric in the Lower Manya Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region, Mr. Alex Fordjour described the call by Mr. Korboe as a “step in the right direction.”
The decentralization and the placing of the agric sector under the ministry of local government, according to the extension officer was critical especially as the assemblies do not have the zeal and passion for the development of the agric sector at the district level.
He regretted that the assemblies apportioned very little of the district assemblies common fund to the DAOs as they did not consider it a priority compared to other departments under the assemblies.
Speaking in an interview with Eric Boafo during the ‘Akuafo Se sen’ segment of the Rite Morning Ride the extension officer recounted how the DOAs effortlessly assessed funds from central government prior to the decentralization process.
“Prior to the decentralization of the system, the agric departments at the district levels easily accessed logistics on time from the central government to run their activities effectively and efficiently,” Mr. Alex Fordjour recalled.
Source: Prince Paul Amuzu/www.ritefmonline.org/princeamuzu667@gmail.com
