Ghana has not imported maize in five years, says deputy minister

The deputy agriculture minister Yaw Frimpong Addo says over the past half-decade, the government has invested more to boost production of maize

Fred Dzakpata November 29, 2022

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Ghana has not imported maize for the past five years because of the government’s continuous support for the sector, the deputy agriculture minister Yaw Frimpong Addo has said.

Frimpong Addo said that over the period, the government has invested a great deal to boost production of maize.

Appearing on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Tuesday (29 November) in Koforidua, in the run-up to this year’s National Farmers’ Day, Addo said the government is committed to ensuring food sufficiency in Ghana.

“Our duty as a ministry was to increase production, [in] which, to a large extent, we have succeeded. Since 2017, we haven’t imported a grain of maize into this country,” he said.

“There are several stages in agriculture that an investor can add value. For us, it’s the private sector that has to be encouraged to support us.

“There’s close collaboration between the ministry and the researchers. There are a lot of varieties that we’re giving farmers to increase yields,” Addo said.

Farmers’ Day

This year, the celebrations at the regional level have been restored as a cost-cutting strategy to ease the financial burden on the 16 regional co-ordinating councils, which hitherto bore the cost of travel expenses, accommodation and lodging of regional award winners and other accompanying officials to participate in the celebration at the national level.

There will be five regional award categories per region-: Regional Best Farmer; Regional Best Livestock Farmer; Regional Best Crop Farmer; Regional Best Fisher and Regional Best Agricultural Extension Agent.

The district award categories have been revised from six to three per district, namely: District Best Farmer; District Best Livestock Farmer and District Best Crop Farmer.

Districts which have the financial wherewithal to cater for additional award categories are, however, advised to do so at their own expense.

Fred Dzakpata

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