It is becoming increasingly clear that agriculture is the backbone of our economy.
This was reiterated by the president during the just-ended National Farmers’ Day.
We may not be able to compete with the industrialised nations in terms of technological advancement, but if we are able to develop our agricultural sector well and add value to our products, it will lead to a more rapid economic transformation, and Ghana will, indeed, stand tall among the comity of nations.
Those who have passed through the educational system will be familiar with the instructions, which often precede some examination questions.
After being told, for example, to select and answer four out of six questions, you will also be reminded that all questions carry equal marks. It does not matter the order in which the questions are answered.
Under such conditions, it is always prudent to select the ones you can answer confidently.
A lot of students may think that by choosing to answer the seemingly difficult ones, they may impress the examiner, ultimately to their disadvantage.
Opportunities
In the 1970s, during the “Operation Feed Yourself” programme of General Kutu Acheampong, when so many people were into backyard farming and gardening, food was in abundance to the extent that it had to be exported for foreign exchange.
Our strength lies in the fact that we are endowed with vast stretches of fertile land, which can grow and rear almost anything.
The story is told of a maize seed that was found germinating on an articulated truck, which had been used to transport the maize.
That notwithstanding, food is so expensive that the average worker may spend almost all his salary on food. The importance of good nutrition to health, and ultimately, to wealth generation cannot be overemphasised.
The annual Farmer’s Day is laudible, but 40 years since its inception, it has not ensured food security. It is a fact that we have not invested in and mechanised our agricultural sector.
It is said that in the developed world, less than 10 per cent of the population is farmers, and yet they can ensure food security and export the surplus.
In our setting, it is estimated that about 40 per cent of the population are farmers, and yet, we do not produce sufficient food for local consumption, let alone export.
That is because most of those who engage in farming are the rural poor, practising subsistence farming, without the material and financial resources needed to produce on a large scale.
The majority of the people who are very rich and can farm on a large scale are also not doing so.
If only the rich can invest in large-scale farming, and or partner with the poor farmer to expand and improve their farming practices, the story will be different.
Traditionally, it is the poor farmer who usually possesses the land for farming, but it is the rich who have the financial wherewithal.
Can we design a system that ensures partnership among the two groups with the aim of boosting agriculture?
But there may be a way out. I have observed that most who are offered key positions in government and political appointees are rich.
During the vetting of such officers, a lot of questions are asked about their educational background, including competencies to expertise.
Sometimes, they are even asked to recite or sing the national anthem.
However, no none is asked about their experience in farming.
At the next vetting of ministers and government appointees, perhaps, they should be asked whether they own farms; owning a farm must also be a prerequisite to being approved for key government appointments.
In addition to the government’s effort in recognising farmers on Farmers’ Day, the society can also appreciate farmers in their own small way.
In Akan philosophy, it is said that for a person to be valued highly, we do not ask him the amount of money he has but the number of houses he has built.
We can extend the same to the recognition of people who have made it in life by asking them how many farms they have established.
Medical Director, Royal Medical Agency Clinic.
E-mail: [email protected]
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh
