The Minority in Parliament has marked this year’s Farmers’ Day with a fierce warning that Keta and other coastal communities are drowning, not fishing, because of the chronic breakdown in premix fuel supply.
The caucus says the situation has crippled livelihoods and exposed what it describes as deep failures in the management of essential inputs.
In a statement signed by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the caucus said Farmers’ Day must be more than a day of celebration.
“On the occasion of National Farmers’ Day, the Minority in Parliament extends heartfelt appreciation and resolute solidarity to the gallant farmers, fisherfolk, processors, and agricultural workers whose sweat and resilience continue to feed our nation — even as they face some of the gravest challenges in Ghana’s modern agricultural history.”
They said the day demands reflection on frustration, neglect, and “national policy failures under the current administration.”
The Minority praised the resilience of farmers who continue to work in the face of a harsh year. They said 2025 has brought “a catastrophic grain market collapse, where over 1 million metric tonnes of paddy rice valued at GH¢5 billion reportedly remain unsold, abandoned in warehouses and barns from Upper East to North East and the Northern Region.”
They said government failed to honour its promise that the National Food Buffer Stock Company would buy all locally produced rice and maize, leaving farmers stranded and food security at risk.
The caucus also saluted the country’s fishers and processors who “brave the waves to put protein on our tables.”
They said these workers face depleted stocks, illegal fishing, and now “crippling logistical failures in the supply of essential inputs.” The Minority described their continued work as proof of “the indomitable Ghanaian spirit.”
But they said the sector is now in acute crisis. They pointed to Keta, where fishing activity has reportedly collapsed because of chronic premix shortages. They said it is a case of boats stuck at shore and families left without income.
“We express our profound sympathy with areas like Keta in the Volta Region, where fishing activities…the lifeblood of countless households and the local economy—have reportedly been crippled by the chronic non-supply of premix fuel.”
They said this is a symptom of “systemic neglect that leaves boats docked, livelihoods frozen, and families hungry.” They added that a government that cannot ensure reliable premix distribution “has failed in its most basic duty.”
The statement said 2025 has been a year of protest, pain, and broken promises. They pointed to farmer associations that boycotted national celebrations because government failed to purchase their produce.
They noted a march through Tamale where farmers asked: “Government promised to buy every grain. Where are you?” They said the frustration mirrors what is happening in abandoned fishing communities.
The Minority said that smuggled rice and cheap imports are destroying the local market. They warned that expired and repackaged products continue to flow in as farmers struggle with unsold stock.
They said illicit fishing and unregulated imports are also undermining local catch and weakening coastal economies.
“No local producer can compete with products that enter the country untaxed, unregulated, and unchecked.”
They warned that the cocoa sector remains under threat from volatility and illegal mining. They said global prices surged and then collapsed, pushing many into hardship.
They noted that “30,000 hectares of cocoa farms have, according to COCOBOD, been lost to illegal mining.”
They said farmers are facing degraded land, poisoned water, and collapsing livelihoods, with some abandoning cocoa altogether.
The caucus also highlighted the warning from Ghana Water Company about rising turbidity in major rivers. They said the Ayensu River recorded levels far beyond treatment limits and warned that pollution is killing aquatic life and hurting fishing communities.
“We cannot celebrate Farmers’ and Fishers’ Day while our rivers die due to crass governmental incompetence.”
They said high production costs continue to weaken both crops and fisheries. They noted that Ghana still imports billions worth of food each year, including large volumes of poultry and fish. They described the situation as unsustainable.
The Minority called for urgent investment in modern tools, technology, and AI. They urged the use of drones, digital monitoring, precision agriculture, stock assessment tools, smart irrigation, and national AI platforms. They said this is how the country becomes competitive and how jobs are created.
“This is how we feed our people. This is how we build a future-proof agricultural and blue economy.”
On Farmers’ Day, the caucus demanded immediate action from government.
They called for the purchase of all unsold grain, urgent restoration of premix supply starting with Keta, enforcement against smuggled imports, strong action against illegal mining and fishing, more funding for Feed Ghana, subsidies for modern tools, and investment in irrigation, cold chains, landing sites, roads, and processing.
The Minority closed with a salute to farmers and fishers across the country.
“We honour you. We celebrate you. We see your struggles. We stand with you. Your courage feeds the nation. Your resilience sustains our economy. Your labour strengthens our democracy.”
They reaffirmed their commitment to championing the sector until the country fully protects producers and modernises agriculture and fisheries.
They ended the statement with: “Happy Farmers’ Day to all the heroes who feed Ghana.”
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