Agriculture in Ghana remains the cornerstone of the country’s economic development and has since been featured strongly in every political manifesto since independence.
After the 2024 general elections, H.E. John Dramani Mahama was democratically elected and sworn into office as the sixth president of the Fourth Republic as enshrined in the 1992 constitution.
As part of the executive powers under section 11(3) of the Civil Service Act, 1993(P.N.D.C.L. 327). His Excellency the president effected a constitutional instrument to restructure existing ministries under the constitutional provisions.
This aligned with his manifesto promise to downsize the government and also to ensure prudent government expenditure as a measure to contain a healthy economy.
This piece is focused on the agriculture sector, The decision of the president, and Implications.
The president in the recent pronouncement has maintained the name of the agricultural ministry as“Ministry of Food and Agriculture” while taking away a significant sub-sector (Agribusiness) of Agriculture to the former Ministry of Trade and Industry to be referred to as “Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness, and Industry”.
Moreover, the ministry of agriculture operations has being decentralized at the Regional and District levels to assume a part of the ministry of local government and rural development which has recently been also restructured as Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious affairs.
This singular act has raised a great concern as a matter of national policy on its ability to align well with the core mandate of MOFA and all industry players. As rudimentary as the agriculture profession might seemsto be, it is worthy to note that it has transitioned from hunting and gathering through subsistence agriculture to commercialization and now evolved as business-oriented profession.
The Agribusiness understanding of the sector has transcended boundaries of production, processing and marketing to value addition of agriculture produce.
The production interface includes actors such as seed producers, agro input dealers, breeders (crops and animals) etc. the processing and marketing actors are the entrepreneurs who transact business in response to principles of demand and supply through value addition of raw materials with the mind profiteering.
Holistically, this therefore affirms the UN concept of food systems network and food security aiding in meeting food availability, nutritional requirements, accessibility and at affordable rates at all times.
The Global food systems are therefore a complex web of interrelated activities across the agriculture value chain which of course include the agribusiness sector with which Ghana’s agriculture cannot afford to break ties.
Moreover, disassociating Agribusiness from Ministry of Food and Agriculture implies a budgetary deficiency to MoFA which will affect investor models, reduce production, promotes unemployment, and affects economic growth.
I have always maintained that the surest way to improve economic growth in Ghana is to improve on agriculture financing mechanisms. Incorporating Agribusiness to MOFA will not only enhance efficiency and effectiveness of the sector and Agencies under the ministry but also ensure proper regulation of consumer prices as a major cause of food inflation in the country. It would be a misplaced thought for one to assume that the business potentials of agriculture be shifted to MOTI leaving the sector in a skeletal state.
Unlike the MLNR which have oversight responsibility of the Minerals Commission, Minerals Development Fund, Minerals Income Investment Fund etc. MOFA should be treated fairly as such. My candid opinion therefore admonishes H.E the President to prioritize Agriculture development in this Country whiles ensuring that the MOFA stands alone, holding tight the agriculture wings and sub-sectors such as the Agribusiness, Crops services, Mechanization and irrigation, PPRSD, livestock and Vert. sectors etc.
finally, the Ministry’s operations should not be subservient to those of the Ministry of local government but rather exist as an autonomous Ministry with adequate financing and budgetary allocation.
Ruhullah Buambeu Abdullah
Development Researcher &Freelance Agribusiness consultant
ruhu68@gmail.com
