Majority, Minority slug it out over agriculture sector

The Majority and Minority Members of Parliament (MPs) last Tuesday slugged it out over the failures and successes of the government in the agricultural sector as they continued the debate on the 2018 Budget and Economic Policy.

The Minority MPs castigated the government for slowing the growth in the agriculture sector and worsening the plight of farmers.

Minority's take

The MP for Asunafo South, Mr Eric Opoku, who led the onslaught, accused the Minister of Finance, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, of providing inaccurate and contradictory indicators in the 2018 budget.

He said the government allocated only 0.98 per cent of the total budget allocation to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ministry of Fisheries.

He said such a meagre allocation could not transform the economy and create the needed jobs as promised by the government.

Mr Opoku, who is the Ranking Member on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, said whereas payments to cocoa farmers were going down, budget allocations for the managers of the Ghana Cocoa Board were skyrocketing.

Besides, he said, the government had suspended the construction of cocoa roads, which was worsening the plight of cocoa farmers.

The MP for Kintampo North, Mr Kwasi Etu-Bonde, said the agriculture sector was worse off than what the National Democratic Congress (NDC) left behind.

He said if steps were not taken to reverse the trend, the sufferings of Ghanaian farmers would be worsened. 

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Majority's response

The MP for Walewale and Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Sagre Bambangi, said the allocation to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ministry of Fisheries amounted to 1.56 per cent but not the 0.98 per cent claimed by the Minority.

He wondered why the Minority was crying foul when the agricultural sector was neglected by the NDC government.

"Under this regime, agriculture is getting back to work and for that matter, the Planting for Food and Jobs Policy will receive the maximum support," he said.

Dr Bambangi said the agricultural sector, under the NDC government, was nearly dead, but the current government under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had revived the sector.

He said the government would engage 2,700 farm extension officers and other ancillary staff to ensure a successful farming year.

Dr Bambangi noted that the government's pre-election promise to pursue an irrigation policy would be followed through to ensure an all-year-round farming.

The MP for Nsuta-Kwamang Beposo and Chairman of Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, Mr Kwame Asafu-Adjei, said the investment in the agricultural sector was yielding results.

He indicated that the growth in the agricultural sector, especially the cocoa sector, was putting Ghana back to work.

Mr Asafu-Adjei said 10 months of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in office was better than the eight years of NDC government in the area of agriculture.