Rising cost of agric inputs affecting food production - Best Farmer

Agona Nsaba (C/R), May 14, GNA - The increasing cost of agricultural inputs is affecting food production locally because of reduction in farm size by some major farmers, Mr Emmanuel Tetteh-Danyo, former Agona District best farmer on Wednesday observed. Speaking to the Ghana News Agency at Agona Nsaba in the Central region, Mr Tetteh-Danyo expressed concern about the sharp increase in prices of agricultural chemicals on the market. He said most of farmers could not afford to purchase weedicide and other agricultural chemicals for use on their farms and therefore appealed to Government to subsidize inputs.

Last year, he said a weedicide that was sold at GH¢4.50 is now being sold at GH¢11.00 Mr Tetteh-Danyo, who was also the former National Organizer of the Farmers and Fishermen Association of Ghana again to Government to waive taxes on imported agricultural inputs. He said the waiving of the taxes on the agricultural insecticides would go long way to help farmers to improve their activities to increase food production. Mr Tette-Danyo expressed concern about the irregular visit of farms by agric extension officers in the District and appealed to the Minister of Food and Agriculture to help redress the issue.