10,000 bags of fertiliser missing in Upper West region

Over 10,000 bags of government-subsidised fertiliser for farmers in the Upper West Region have reportedly disappeared.

The bags, meant for distribution for farmers in the Sissala East and Sissala West constituencies have allegedly been diverted to the Brong Ahafo Region, where they are being sold to farmers there for profit.

This development has led to a crunch meeting in the regional capital, Wa, between the Regional Minister, his deputy, and other officials of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.

Speaking on the development in an interview with Emefa Apawu on the 505 programme on Class91.3FM on Wednesday May 24, the Deputy Minister for the Upper West Region, Amidu Ishak, said the Regional Minister has fashioned out strategies to look for the whereabouts of those fertilisers.

He said: “The regional minister, upon hearing the report, decided that we should meet all district directors of agric, desk officers in charge of fertiliser, distributors, agents, and all relevant stakeholders in the fertiliser business. We have been told that Yara [Ghana Limited], so far has delivered 15,450 bags of NPK and then 9700 bags of urea and also they had paid for 6,770 NPK and 4300 Urea which are yet to be collected, but it looks like farmers are complaining of not getting fertilisers to buy and that is why we have called for this meeting.

“Together, we have fashioned out some strategies to ensure that these fertilisers get to the farmers because fertilisers have been reduced by 50 per cent by the present government.

“This is to ensure that farmers’ cost of production is reduced and once cost of production is reduced, income levels of farmers will be increased. So we are taking steps to ensure farmers actually get the fertilisers.”