Government asked to establish PFF

The government has been called upon to establish the Plant and Fertilizer Fund (PFF) as provided for by the Plant and Fertilizer Act, 2010 (Act 803) to finance research and investigations relating to fertilizers being used in the country.

The Northern Regional branch of the Ghana Agri-Input Dealers Association (GAIDA), which made the call in a statement, said the establishment of the PFF would go a long way to prevent and curb the menace of fake and adulteration of fertilizer products in the country through rigorous investigations by relevant state institutions.

The statement issued in Tamale on Monday, was signed by Mr Mohammed Mahamud, Northern Regional Secretary of GAIDA, and copied to the Ghana News Agency.

It formed part of the advocacy efforts of the Northern Regional branch of GAIDA with support from the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge Fund, and their partners USAID, DANIDA and EU for the establishment of PFF.

The statement called on the government through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to translate its commitment and willingness to ensure a sustained food production by making the PFF operational.

It said the call to the government to establish the PFF “Comes as a result of the recent cry by some farmers in the Northern Region with regards to the potency and efficacy of some fertilizer products that are being sold to them.”

It said “The farmers have persistently complained about the yield levels of some of the fertilizer products and have threatened to stop buying those fertilizer products in some cases, if nothing is done about the situation.”

The statement called on “The Parliamentary Select Committee on Agriculture to hasten the pace of Parliament in capturing the PFF under the consolidated fund. As part of the Plant and Fertilizer Act, the main source of funding for the PFF is through money approved by Parliament. The Parliamentary Select

Committee on Agriculture should therefore work to clear all bottlenecks impeding the implementation of the Plant and Fertilizer Act.”

It also appealed to government to equip fertilizer research institutions in the form of infrastructure and expertise to enable them continue their oversight role on both standards and quality of fertilizers.

GAIDA is a national body of agricultural input dealers in the country, and it envisions excellence in the provision of agricultural inputs and maximizing food productivity for a healthy nation.

Source: GNA