The Director of Communications for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, says the next NPP government, to be led by Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, will prioritize agriculture with modern technologies.

Ghana's agricultural sector is a significant part of the economy, contributing around 20% to its GDP. Activities in the sector across the country include livestock, forestry, fisheries, and aquaculture, with crop farming being the dominant activity.

However, most of these activities are carried out using traditional methods, as many argue that the use of modern technology in the sector is expensive and unaffordable for locals.

According to Mr Ahiagbah, should Dr Bawumia become the substantive President, he would make the agricultural sector more attractive by introducing initiatives.

“Bawumia’s administration will invest massively in irrigation expansion programmes to manage and rehabilitate existing systems and improve access to mechanised farming to boost productivity and promote commercial farming,” he said during a press conference held by the NPP on Wednesday, at the party’s headquarters in Accra.

He added that even as Vice President, Dr Bawumia had made significant contributions to the country’s agricultural sector, which has, over the years, ensured food security for the nation.

“Dr Bawumia envisions a modernized agricultural sector to improve food security and rural livelihoods,” he noted.

Speaking about some of the initiatives Dr Bawumia plans to introduce to boost Ghana’s agricultural sector, Mr Ahiagbah mentioned a soil fertility initiative. He explained that, when implemented, this initiative would “boost crop yields and productivity, ensuring profitability, especially for rural small-scale farmers.”

On mechanisation support, he said the next NPP government would “provide farmers with affordable access to modern farming equipment to increase their efficiency and productivity,” adding that agro-processing industries would also be established, “promoting the creation of processing industries to add value to agricultural products for local consumption and exports.”

Regarding women empowerment, the Communications Director stated that a future Bawumia government would prioritize supporting local women farmers.

“Emphasis will be placed on empowering small-scale and women farmers with better access to credit, insurance, and training in modern agricultural practices,” he said.

He also stated that the government would consider price stability to ensure that sector players do not labour in vain but instead gain reasonable profits.

Mr Ahiagbah emphasized that “The Bawumia plan will finance farmers to expand food production, processing, and storage to stabilize food prices and ensure a steady supply in the market by working with the Development Bank of Ghana and other financial platforms.”