Ghana must abandon agricultural policies that are driven by the stomach, says Atta Akyea

Atibuakwa Akim Samuel Atta Akyea, a member of parliament for the South, has demanded that Ghana's agricultural policy be changed.

He favors policies that focus on the availability of raw materials for industrial purposes rather than solely on agriculture's ability to feed the population.

According to him, agriculture can only fully help Ghana when it can provide the industrial sector with large-scale supplies.

On November 30, after Dr. Owusu Akoto Afriyie, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, had given the House an update on the Farmers' Day celebration in 2022, he was speaking in the House of Representatives.

"Accelerating Agricultural development through value addition" is the theme of the event.

The Agriculture Minister informed the legislature that it would be held on Friday, December 2, at Koforidua Jubilee Park.

The Minister said that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will attend as a special guest.

Mr. Atta Akyea commented during a debate on the House floor about the celebration's theme, saying, "I am also of the humble view that the idea should transfer into realities.

"You won't benefit from agriculture if we continue with that agonistic, archaic type of agriculture,"

There is no doubt in my mind that agriculture can be the foundation and backbone of the economy. We should move away from agriculture policies and initiatives that are focused on feeding people because I believe that is too fundamental for our forward motion.

"We should focus our efforts on getting agriculture to significantly supply the raw resources for industry. We start enhancing the advantages of agriculture there.