Review fertilizer subsidy programme under PFJ to target smallholder farmers – Farmers

Head of Programme and Advocacy at the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) Dr. Charles Nyaaba has asked the government to review the fertilizer subsidy program under the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) initiative to target smallholder farmers.

He said the farmers have been hit harder by the geopolitical tension between Russia and Ukraine because the development is affecting the import of fertilizer.

Dr. Nyaaba was speaking on News@10 on TV3 Monday, March 21 in relation to an announcement by the government the 16 flagship programs are going to be looked at.

“You will realize that if you look at the support of the Planting for Food and Jobs, the major area that farmers have benefited is the fertilizer subsidy program. This fertilizer, we depend on 100 percent on importation. Because we are now having global prices it is hitting us hard.

“So I look for a situation where government rather will review and we target smallholder farmers,” he told Martin Asiedu Darteh.

Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah announced that all the 16 flagship programs of the government including the free senior high school (SHS) program and the PFJ are up to be looked at.

Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah said the president wants the programs to be protected and fully implemented to impact the lives of all Ghanaians.

“All the 16 flagship programs are up to be looked at. The President has directed that the flagship programs should be protected and fully implemented to ensure that the impact is achieved.

“However, he wants it done within the constraints of item number 2 which is the fiscal framework we are working with. If based on the caps that we are working with we will have to rescope a particular flagship program, we will do it and see how much we can achieve,” he told Accra-based Citi FM on Monday, March 21.