Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has announced that agriculture will be his foremost priority if he is elected President in the 2024 general elections.
During a courtesy visit to Sandem-Nab, Nab Azaksuk Azantilow, the Paramount Chief of the Builsa Traditional Area in the Upper East Region, Dr. Bawumia assured farmers of comprehensive support, emphasizing the need for adopting advanced agricultural practices from countries like Brazil and China.
“Agriculture is going to be my number one priority. We will make sure that we have all the different pillars in place for farmers,” he stated. “I want to bring in the best practices from countries like Brazil and China that have higher productivity in crops such as maize and rice. We want to also learn from them to adopt some of those technologies that are giving them two or three times the yields per acre that we are doing.”
In line with this vision, Dr. Bawumia pledged to establish District Agricultural Mechanisation centres across farming districts, providing affordable equipment to boost production. This initiative aims to enhance the mechanization of agriculture, making modern farming tools accessible to farmers at lower costs.
Furthermore, Dr. Bawumia expressed his intention to shift Ghana’s focus from chemical fertilizers to using lime to improve soil fertility.
“I want Ghana to move away from chemical fertilizers for our soil to lime. Lime is the way forward. We have limestone in Ghana and it is much cheaper than the fertilizer, and we want to help the farmers with this new soil fertility treatment through lime,” he explained.
The NPP has also championed other significant agricultural policies under Dr. Bawumia’s influence. These include the “Planting for Food and Jobs” initiative, which has increased food production and created employment opportunities, and the “One District, One Factory” policy, aimed at adding value to agricultural products and reducing post-harvest losses.
Dr. Bawumia’s commitment to agriculture highlights a strategic focus on revitalizing Ghana’s agrarian economy, ensuring food security, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. His emphasis on mechanization, adoption of advanced technologies, and a shift to lime for soil fertility underscores his vision for a prosperous and self-sufficient agricultural sector in Ghana.
