A former General Secretary of the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), Edward Kareweh, has expressed skepticism about the immediate impact of the recently launched FEED Ghana Initiative

In an interview with Citi Business News, Kareweh stated that although the initiative was introduced nearly a month ago to boost agricultural production, its benefits may not materialise this year due to delays in the supply of farming inputs.

He attributed the delays to budgetary constraints and urged farmers to manage their expectations regarding short-term outcomes.

“All inputs, in fact, are supposed to be ready by January — January, February. All inputs should be ready. Then distribution to farmers should also begin around February. Unfortunately, we have a government that came in January and was still forming, and then you have this program.”

“Certainly, there will be a delay in the supply of inputs — there’s no doubt about that. So we may be expecting too much from the Feed Ghana programme this year. But that will not happen. In fact, if we are to reap the full benefits, it will only come next year,” he said.

The government unveiled the Feed Ghana Programme in April as part of efforts to transform the country’s agricultural sector.

The initiative aims to boost food production to feed the population, supply raw materials for agro-processing factories, and create employment opportunities for the youth.