Agricultural Economist Martin Tetey Nartey has expressed concerns over Ghana’s persistent underinvestment in the agricultural sector, despite its critical role in food security.
Speaking in an interview on Happy FM’s Happy Morning show, Mr. Nartey pointed out that although agriculture employs between 70 to 85 percent of the population in many African countries, including Ghana, it continues to receive minimal attention in national policy and budget allocations. “The sector manages to feed the population year after year, largely due to certain key measures. But subsequent governments in Ghana have failed to go deeper into transforming agriculture into a more productive and export-driven industry,” he said.
He recalled the Maputo Declaration of 2003, where African Union member states, including Ghana, committed to allocating at least 10% of their national budgets to agriculture as part of efforts to promote food security and economic growth. Ghana is still falling short of this target.
He expressed that currently Ghana allocates just about 2-3% of its annual budget to agriculture. “An industry that employs over two-thirds of the population and is responsible for feeding the nation. How come when it comes to the budget, we can’t throw more direction on it, so that we can increase production, ensure local food security and also export foreign exchange” Nartey said.
Mr. Nartey noted that while some groundwork has been laid, more deliberate and sustained efforts are needed to fully unlock the sector’s potential. “We’re almost there in terms of capacity on the ground. What’s missing is financial commitment to make agriculture a national priority.” His comments come at a time when Ghana continues to grapple with high food prices, rural unemployment, and a widening trade deficit driven in part by agricultural imports.
