[ 2016-11-04 ]

Oil cash will not distract my gov’t from growing agric sector – Akufo-Addo
The 2016 Presidential Candidate of the New
Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo-Dankwa
Akufo-Addo, has reiterated his commitment to
developing the agricultural sector when given the
mandate the govern the country.

According to him, the agricultural sector is so
dear to heart that not even the blessing of the
country’s oil and gas will distract his
attention from developing the sector.

The agricultural sector, he noted, has seen a
sharp decline under President Mahama’s watch to
extent that growth rate in the sector which stood
at 7.4% in 2008 (the last year of the NPP
administration) recorded a dismal 2.4% in 2015.

He said the agricultural sector has been largely
neglected under the NDC government over the last
eight years, a situation he attributed to the
continuous low the investment in the sector.

“With modernization and diversification of
agriculture being a key component of the NPP’s
4-Point Agenda for the development of Ghana, I
wish to assure our farmers and fisherfolk that the
blessing of oil will not distract an
Akufo-Addo-led NPP government from growing the
agricultural sector and making it more modern,
more efficient and therefore, more productive.
Access to finance, improved training and
technology, reducing post-harvest losses,
extending feeder roads and farm tracts to as many
farm gates as possible, increasing irrigation
facilities, and guaranteeing markets for our farm
produce are going to be the nucleus of this
approach. All these would be implemented in close
collaboration between the District Assemblies and
the field staff of the Ministry of Food and
Agriculture. Farmers should have a cause to look
forward to tomorrow with belief and joy,” he
noted.

Akufo-Addo made this observation in a statement
signed and released in Accra on Friday to
appreciate the country’s farmers and fisherfolk
for their hard work and commitment to the cause of
building Ghana over the years.


Below is the full statement:


AKUFO-ADDO’S FARMERS’ DAY MESSAGE

On the occasion of the 2016 Farmers’ Day
celebrations, I join all Ghanaians in expressing
our sincere appreciation to our farmers and
fisherfolk for their hard work and commitment to
the cause of building Mother Ghana over the
years.

The role of agriculture in transforming any
economy and nation is vital. If we are to make any
meaningful change in the lives of the people, our
efforts must be directed at this sector. The
majority of people can only feel a change in their
lives when we develop agriculture rapidly.

However, the agriculture sector has been largely
neglected under the NDC government over the last 8
years. Budgetary allocation to the sector has been
reducing consistently – from 4% in 2009 to 1.1%,
as contained in the 2016 budget. It, therefore,
comes as no surprise that growth rate in the
sector, which stood at 7.4% in 2008, the last year
of the NPP administration, was only a dismal 2.4%
in 2015.

With modernisation and diversification of
agriculture being a key component of the NPP’s
4-Point Agenda for the development of Ghana, I
wish to assure our farmers and fisherfolk that the
blessing of oil will not distract an
Akufo-Addo-led NPP government from growing the
agricultural sector and making it more modern,
more efficient and therefore, more productive.
Access to finance, improved training and
technology, reducing post-harvest losses,
extending feeder roads and farm tracts to as many
farm gates as possible, increasing irrigation
facilities, and guaranteeing markets for our farm
produce are going to be the nucleus of this
approach. All these would be implemented in close
collaboration between the District Assemblies and
the field staff of the Ministry of Food and
Agriculture. Farmers should have a cause to look
forward to tomorrow with belief and joy!

I congratulate all award winners in this year’s
National Best Farmers’ Day Awards and I hope
that your exploits and achievements would be an
inspiration for others to the benefit of the
Ghanaian people.

God bless our farmers and fisherfolk.

God bless Ghana.



……signed……

Nana Akufo-Addo

2016 NPP Presidential Candidate

Source - kasapafmonline.com

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