Ensuring PFJ2 success: Timely input distribution imperative
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture's announcement last week that it would step up the distribution of inputs for registered farmers under the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) phase two programme is a welcome relief to the agricultural sector.
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This is because the delay in distribution has already caused anxiety among farmers, particularly in the southern sector, where the major farming season has passed.
The delay has brought to the fore the importance of timely intervention in the agricultural sector, and the need for a more efficient system to ensure that inputs reach farmers when they need them most.
The PFJ programme was launched in 2017 with the aim of addressing the threat to food sufficiency and security in Ghana. The programme seeks to increase food production, improve food availability and reduce poverty among farmers.
Nonetheless, the delay in input distribution threatens to undermine the very purpose of the programme. Farmers who registered for the programme in March, expecting to receive inputs in time for the major farming season, have been left disappointed, and the southern sector, which has already missed the major farming season, is particularly affected.
The importance of timely intervention in agriculture cannot be overemphasised. Time is of the essence in farming, and delays can have devastating consequences. The saying "time and tide wait for no man" rings true for farmers, who cannot afford to wait for inputs.
The delay in input distribution has not only affected farmers in the southern sector but also those in the northern sector, who are equally running against time.
The Daily Graphic is gladdened that the PFJ programme's digital platform, Ghana Agriculture and Agribusiness Platform (GhAAP), has registered an impressive 428,641 farmers. This feat notwithstanding, the delay in distribution highlights the need for a more efficient system.
We urge the ministry to ensure that inputs are distributed as soon as farmers register to avoid similar delays in the future. In the current dispensation we highly applaud the ministry for the use of technology in the registration process, but this must be complemented with an efficient distribution system.
Furthermore, the input-grant package for vulnerable groups, including victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage, is laudable but there is a risk of misallocation.
District chief executives and MPs must, therefore, ensure that inputs reach the intended beneficiaries rather than political affiliates. We cannot belabour the fact that fair distribution is crucial to the success of the programme.
The Daily Graphic strongly believes that the PFJ programme has the potential to transform the agricultural sector of the country. However, the delay in input distribution means that there should be a more efficient system of distribution, while stakeholders must work together to ensure fair allocation.
It is only then that the programme can achieve its goals and make a meaningful impact on the lives of farmers and the nation.
Timely intervention in agriculture is critical. It is our hope that the ministry will take the necessary steps to ensure that farmers receive the inputs they need, when they need them.