The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto has called on security agencies to increase surveillance at various borders across the country to check food smuggling to neighbouring countries.
He said intelligence gathered indicated that large quantities of food stuffs were smuggled to Togo, Burkina Faso and Côte D’Ivoire, noting that if the act was not stopped immediately, by April 2023, there could be food crisis in the country.
“The situation is very worrying Ghana is food sufficient in the whole of West Africa because of our Planting for Food and Jobs policy, and those countries can also adopt the initiative for their citizens.” he said.
Dr. Akoto was addressing staff of the Department of Agriculture, farmers, In-put dealers among others in Bolgatanga at a forum as part his working tour of some parts the Upper East Region.
The Minister stressed on the need for patriotism, and called on security agencies to pay critical attention to foreign trucks on Ghanaian roads, especially trucks with Nigerian number plates.
According to him, intelligence available to the Ministry indicated that trucks with such number plates smuggled rice from the Fumbisi Rice Valley in the Builsa South District out of the country.
He expressed concern that the poultry industry was collapsing following inadequate grains and as a result, many farm owners had sold their birds and that the consequences were dire,
“Everybody should cooperate with the state agencies to nip in the bud these illegal activities,” the sector Minister said.
Dr. Akoto urged farmers to switch from the use of inorganic to organic fertilizers as the Russian – Ukraine War and the global economic downturn resulted in the shortage of the commodity.
He said the use of organic fertilizer was possible as there were lots of animals and domestic waste which could easily be formulated into compost and also cheaper, and equally effective for the soil nutrients.
The Upper East Regional Minister, Hon. Stephen Yakubu gave the assurance that as Chairman of the Regional Security Council (REGSEC), he would implore all the necessary security measures to stop the smuggling of food stuffs to neighbouring countries.
He said the region has lots of water resources, and if put into good use, could produce enough food to feed residents and beyond.
The Regional Minister added that the Regional Coordinating Council was in talks with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in the Region to start the production of tomatoes and other food stuffs in the Region by next year which would reduce importation from Burkina Faso.