Deputy Minister for Agriculture Kennedy Osei Nyarko has stated that the Akufo-Addo-led New Patroitic Party (NPP) government is committed to improving farming through irrigation.
The deputy minister said the government cannot rely on the natural rain patterns because of climate change hence the need to resort to irrigation.
Speaking on 3FM’s morning show, Sunrise, Mr Osei Nyarko said government is far advanced in the execution of the irrigation project.
“Since we took over the reign of government, one of the ways we think can increase year-round production is irrigation and government is committed into making sure that we irrigate major parts of our arable lands.” he stated.
According to him, modernization of agriculture cannot happen by using cutlasses and hoes but rather by the introduction of certain techniques and methods, one of which is irrigation.
He singled out government’s flagship Planting for Food and Jobs programme as aiming at creating job, increasing income for farmers, and also increasing food security.
He observed that middle men are hoarding food and selling at higher prices, a situation, he said, government has no control over.
“Government cannot control anybody. We are not doing the price control system. Even the farmers have come to complain to us that they are doing their best and selling so that every consumer gets products at a cheaper rate but those middle men buying from them and coming to resell it are making excessive profits and the danger is that the farmers are being exploited,” he said.
By Portia Gafah|3news.com|Ghana