Reduction in food production can’t be blamed on drought – Agbodza

Member of Parliament for Adaklu Kwame Governs Agbodza, has alleged that the Agriculture Minister’s blame on drought for reduced food production in the country should not be taken seriously but rather the biggest importers of staples like rice and frozen chicken into the country sit around the same table with the President while promising that food will be cheaper in the country.

He accused persons who have the responsibility of ensuring cheaper commodities in the country of importing basic staples into the country.

Mr Agbodza ridiculed the Agriculture Minister’s excuse that if not for drought food prices would have been cheaper in the country, saying what is the minister planning to do to stall the issue of drought in the future?

He pointed out that the Agriculture Minister does not have a solution to the problem of drought but he is promising that things are going to be better in the future.

Mr Agbodza stated that this is a problem when the NPP government has pumped billions of cedis into Planting For Food and Jobs but there is nothing to show for it in terms of food bumper in the country.

He said the Agriculture Minister’s admission that maize production will go down because of the unavailability of fertilizers for the farmers should be the reason for the minister to resign because Ghanaians eat more maize foods than rice in the country.

Mr Agbodza said the One-Village-One-Dam would have been a productive initiative if it could store water for the farmers to use when the rainfall is not forthcoming but rather the dams that they have built are not meaningful dams that could store water for some time for the farmers to use when in need.





He made these pronouncements in an interview with Johnnie Hughes on the New Day show on TV3, Monday, August 30.

Mr Agbodza was commenting on the back of the statement by the Agriculture Minister Owusu Afriyie Akoto that food production in the country has been reduced because of drought in the country. And the promise by the minister that food production is going to be increased in the country by 2024.

“The government should check around the table where the power resides in government, they will realize that the biggest importers of rice are sitting around the same table who are telling us that food will be available. The biggest importers of rice and frozen chicken into this country sit around the same table with the President to decide that things are going to be cheaper. Do you believe that chicken is going to be cheaper? Do you believe that rice is going to be cheaper? Because it is business for somebody”, Mr Agbodza alleged on the New Day

Source:3news.com