The former General Secretary of the Agricultural Workers Union, Edward Kariweh supports the NDC manifesto, describing it as a vital response to the numerous challenges plaguing Ghana’s agricultural sector, including vegetable farming.
He explains that the local industry is currently under significant stress due to a range of factors. The cocoa industry, in particular, is grappling with severe issues such as smuggling, disease outbreaks, and illegal mining activities.
These problems have resulted in the destruction of cocoa farms and the pollution of river bodies, making it impossible for farmers to use river water for their crops. Consequently, farmers must transport water from their homes to their farms, a process that is both labor-intensive and inefficient.
Edward Kariweh underscores the need for immediate action to save the cocoa industry. He believes that the NDC manifesto’s focus on addressing production and other challenges is timely and necessary.
He highlights that agricultural production in Ghana is predominantly rainfed, with irrigation accounting for only a small portion. Despite previous efforts to enhance irrigation, such as the Pwalugu multi-purpose irrigation dam project, progress has been slow, and many initiatives have not achieved their goals.
The “One Village, One Dam” program, which aimed to build 174 dams, has faced issues, with some dams either not constructed or not serving their intended purposes. Kariweh suggests that a new approach is required.
The NDC manifesto proposes providing farmers with free fertilizers and segmenting the agricultural sector into various categories to better address farmers’ needs. It also plans to establish farmer survey centers in each district, offering modern agricultural equipment and technologies that would otherwise be costly for individual farmers.
These measures aim to enhance food production and ensure a reliable water supply for agriculture throughout the year.
