DBI: Delayed Supply of Subsidized Fertilizer Discouraged Farmers
Planting for Food and Jobs is a policy which was instituted by government in 2017 with the aim to improving agriculture through the provision of subsidized inputs with a prime focus on fertilizer. Per data from the ministry of agriculture, it led to a high increase in the number of farmers and acreages of lands cultivated since its inception.
Meanwhile, according to the district director of the department of agriculture in the Dafiama Busie Issa district Mr. Tiereke Nicholas intimated that several farmers could not engage in farming this crop season due to the late arrival of fertilizer. ‘Under the Planting for Food and Jobs, a total of 10,640 NPK of the 25Kg bags were distributed to 644 males and 316 females. This low figure is as a result of late arrival of the fertilizers’.
Addressing the gathering during the farmers day celebration last Friday, Mr. Tiereke Nicholas also stated that the floods which occured in September this year has become a major bottleneck surrounding the agricultural value chain in the DBI district.
He went ahead to highlight that aside the destruction of crops on several farms, various roads have been rendered unmottorable hence making the transportation and marketing of farm produce very cumbersome. He also bemoaned the adverse impact of COVID-19 to farming as well.
The district director of agriculture expressed optimism that in the next crop season the interventions his department has initiated would pay off hence lead to improved farming and its value chain.
