Ghana says currency depreciation won’t affect food security

The depreciation in the value of the Ghanaian cedi in recent times does not pose a veritable threat to the country’s food security, the Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture responsible for Crops, Mr Yaw Effah-Baafi, has said.

He said there was no need to panic over food shortage, since timely interventions had been fashioned out with supporting stakeholder organisations and the country’s development partners to address any shortfall.

Mr Effah-Baafi gave the assurance at a press conference after the opening of the Ghana Agriculture Investment Forum held in Accra.

“The situation is not as bad as it may seem,” he said, adding that a comparison with other African countries proved that Ghana’s efforts in the agricultural sector were yielding good results.

He explained that although the contribution of agriculture to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) had declined from 51 per cent to 36 per cent, staple food crops were still routinely cultivated in various parts of the country.

“Many of the staples are safe due to timely interventions which the government, in partnership with some organisations, continues to carry out,” he said.

The forum was organised by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) as part of activities marking five years of its inception.

The forum, held on the theme: “Africa’s Agriculture Green Revolution — Is Ghana on Track?”, was aimed at bringing together players in the agricultural value chain to dialogue on how to effectively operationalise a green revolution and the country’s preparedness to implement a full-scale agricultural green revolution.

Expatiating on the efforts the government was making in the area of agriculture at the press conference, Mr Effah-Baafi said despite the enormity of the task of achieving a green revolution, the country had accomplished much in the positive light.

He said the government’s plan to subsidise improved seeds, in addition to fertilisers and other agricultural supplies, was on course.

He added that about 100 agricultural mechanisation centres would be established in various districts by the end of the year as part of efforts to strengthen the policy support system of the agricultural sector.

Source: Daily Graphic