Government plans to establish 50 farmer service centres across the country to support agricultural production and mechanisation.
The first 11 centers will begin operations under the 2026 budget, with each center equipped with tractors, combined harvesters, maize shellers, plows, harrows, tractor trailers and all the machinery and equipment needed for farming.
In his address at the sod-cutting ceremony for multiple road projects in Wa, Upper West Region, President John Dramani Mahama said the centers will be located in food-growing areas to provide farmers with the support they need.
“The minister of finance is going to read his budget and in next year’s budget, he’s made provision for the first 11 of the farmer service centers to begin and so our farmers will get the support they need,” he stated.
The President added that provision has also been made for the establishment of irrigation sites to enable all-year-round gardening.
He explained that one of the major problems with food security in Ghana is the single farming season, which forces farmers to wait six months after harvest before planting again.
“In many countries, when they harvest, they are planting again. When they harvest, they are planting again. That is the kind of agriculture we want to encourage in Ghana,” President Mahama said.
He noted that government will invest in irrigation sites and expects farmers to take advantage of them to do all-year farming rather than waiting for a single rainy season.
President Mahama Warns Against Overloading
President Mahama also issued a strong warning against truck overloading, which has damaged several roads constructed by government.
He noted that some roads asphalted in 2016, including Wa Township roads, have been destroyed because a few transporters want to take advantage and make as much money as possible.
The President cited an example where transporters load one truck with 120 tons of goods in Ghana, then offload into three different trucks at the Burkina Faso border to comply with that country’s weight restrictions.
“If Burkina Faso wants good roads, we also want good roads. So we’re not going to allow you to take one truck and go and offload into three,” he stated.
President Mahama announced that government will have stakeholder engagements with all people in the transport sector before implementing weight restrictions.
“When we start implementing our weight restrictions, we hope that everybody will comply so that these roads that we’re doing will not fail in the next two to three years,” he said.
The President assured that the new approach to road construction involves dividing roads into lots with multiple contractors working on the same stretch to ensure faster completion and better quality control.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
