The Northern Ghana Aid (NOGAID), an international non-governmental organisation (NGO),operating in Tamale, has congratulated award winners of this year's National Farmers' Day for their efforts towards ensuring food security in the country.
Mr. Mustapha Sanah, Executive Chairman of NOGAID, told GNA in Tamale after this year's Farmers' Day celebration in Tamale, that "NOGAID would like to congratulate our hard working farmers and fishermen in the country on the 25th Silver Jubilee Anniversary of the National Farmers' Day for their relentless efforts to ensure that Ghanaians are well feed".
He called on government to increase investment in agriculture sector to ensure sustainable food security for Ghana.
Mr Sanah said the fanfare associated with the annual celebration was commendable but this had to be translated into workable investment in key areas of agriculture for sustainable food security in the country.
He said agriculture potential of the country, particularly the Northern Region, was enormous but much had not been done to provide credit facilities and appropriate inputs for farmers to increase productivity.
Mr. Sanah expressed concern about the imposition of tariffs on food imports without the rapid corresponding investment in key agricultural areas with potential to increase local food production, which was likely to impact
negatively on the lives of consumers who had no choice than to buy from the market.
He stressed that the restoration of tariffs on food imported, introduced two years ago due to global food shortages, would increase hunger
in the country since much had not been done to increase food production locally.
Mr. Sanah said once farmers in the country received the necessary support and investment, the country could export food.
He said if bold and proper initiatives were taken the country would produce much food and celebrate "National Food Security Day".
Mr Sanah said: "This is evident in the attempted subsidy on tractor services and fertilizer for farmers in the last crop season, which resulted in a bumper harvest this year in the Upper West, Upper East and Northern
Regions."