The National Democratic Congress (NDC) flag
The Volta Regional branch of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has bemoaned the shortage of fertilizers in the region.
A statement issued by the party said farmers in the Volta Region are finding it difficult to get fertilizers such as NPK, Sulphate of Ammonia, and Urea to facilitate their farming activities.
The statement further said, “the situation is worse within the Anloga, South Tongu, Agotime-Ziope, Adaklu Districts and Keta, Ketu South and Ketu North Municipalities within the Region”.
They want the President to act to resolve the challenge.
Read the full statement below
PRESS RELEASE
BY VOLTA NDC
27TH SEPTEMBER, 2021
WIDESPREAD SHORTAGE OF FERTILIZER HITS THE VOLTA REGION, PRESIDENT NANA ADDO MUST ACT TO AVERT THE SITUATION
The NDC in the Volta Region can authoritatively confirm the shortage of fertilizers in the Volta region after a thorough investigation of complaints by farmers in almost all districts and municipalities within the region.
The farmers in the Volta Region are finding it difficult to get fertilizers such as NPK, Sulphate of Ammonia, and Urea to facilitate their farming activities. The situation is worse within the Anloga, South Tongu, Agotime-Ziope, Adaklu Districts, and Keta, Ketu South, and Ketu North Municipalities within the Region.
The frustrating shortage has resulted in the incidence of hoarding of fertilizers for sale to farmers at astronomical prices.
A 25kg of subsidized Urea Fertilizer that was going for GHC 48 is now being sold for GHC120 within the Anloga District by a dealer who has hoarded the Fertilizer. This story is known to the Agric Department within the Anloga District.
The shortage of Fertilizers has resulted in small-scale farmers standing long hours in queues for fertilizers but they eventually go home empty-handed, even though they have the means of paying for the subsidized fertilizers.
There are isolated cases of some farmers having to go and buy Fertilizers from Togo to facilitate their farming activities in Ghana.
Another problem faced by the farmers is their reluctant resort to the exorbitant prices of open market fertilizers due to the non-availability of the subsidized ones. A 50kg Urea of Yara brand goes for GHC 250 making it pretty difficult for most farmers to afford.
The farmers who are able to afford the open market cost of Fertilizers are also counting their losses as they are not able to recoup all the money invested in their farming activities.
The vegetable farmers are not the only ones suffering, those into maize and rice farming have also been affected by the widespread shortage of fertilizer within the region.
The NDC Volta is surprised about the fertilizer shortage because, in August 2019, Dr. Bawumia commissioned the Glofert fertilizer factory under the 1D1F at Asuboi in the Ayensuano district of the Eastern region with a production capacity of 800,000 metric tonnes per year which is above the 600,000 metric tonnes required by Ghanaians a year.
We are at a loss why the Agric Minister will say Ghana will soon have a fertilizer manufacturing plant to produce fertilizers locally when Dr. Bawumia already commissioned one.
Where then is the Glofert fertilizer factory commissioned by Dr. Bawumia in 2019?
The NDC in the Volta Region can say without an iota of ambiguity that the flagship programme of the Nana Addo government which is the “Planting for food and jobs” is woefully failing in the Volta Region and the people are calling for the Block Farming system that was introduced under the NDC.
The NDC Volta agrees with the call made by H.E John Mahama about the shortage of fertilizers and wishes to call on President Nana Addo and the Minister of Agriculture to as a matter of urgency resolve the disturbing shortage of subsidized fertilizers in the Volta Region in order to alleviate the plight of farmers.
Signed:
Sorkpa K. Agbleze
NDC Volta Regional communication officer