PNC pledges to radically transform nation’s agriculture

The Peoples’ National Convention (PNC) has vowed to radically transform the nation’s agriculture to boost crop production levels and returns, if voted to power.

Mr. Robert Dambo, the party’s parliamentary candidate for Afigya-Kwabre South, said there would be massive investment to grow the sector.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), he said the PNC government would aggressively promote agricultural mechanization, expose farmers to improve farming technologies and strengthen extension services.

They would identify sites for construction of irrigation systems and remove silt from existing ones to facilitate all-year round cropping.

He stated that it was not going to be “business as usual”, saying, the nation could no longer depend on rain-fed agriculture.

Mr. Dambo made reference to the forecast by the World Food Programme (WFP) that climate change was going to have adverse effect on farming and said that made it imperative to find better ways of doing things.

Irregular rainfall and extreme weather conditions in recent times and the associated threat to food security must be a wake-up call to everybody, he added.

He said there could be no doubt that a vibrant agricultural sector would provide jobs and create wealth.

He expressed discomfort about the poor performance of the sector over the last few years and said the PNC would return it to the path of growth.

Mr. Dambo said the present situation where Ghana was importing vegetables and fruits from neighboring countries including Cote d’ Ivoire and Burkina Faso would have to stop.

Source: GNA