The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has disclosed that some vehicles donated by the Canadian government in 2021 to support agricultural extension services were auctioned before they had been in use for four years.

According to Mr Opoku, the vehicles were supplied under the Ghana-Canada farming support arrangement as part of efforts to strengthen the government’s Planting for Food and Jobs programme, particularly for agricultural extension agents and district directors.

However, he said most of the vehicles had been disposed of through auction before 2025, leaving many district offices without the needed transport support to effectively deliver extension services to farmers.

The Minister made the disclosure when he appeared before Parliament’s Assurances Committee on Thursday, July 9, where he appealed for support to help the ministry secure funding to procure replacement vehicles for district agricultural offices.

“Some vehicles were procured under the Ghana-Canadian, you know, farming support arrangement, which was captured as a baby of the planting for food and jobs,” Mr Opoku said.

“But before 2025, all the vehicles had been auctioned, or most of them had been auctioned, and so, as we speak, we don't have vehicles in most of our district offices. The motorbikes we are giving out are for extension service delivery.”

He explained that while the ministry was providing motorbikes to support extension officers, district agricultural offices still required vehicles to coordinate farming activities and provide adequate support to farmers.

“We are now thinking about how your committee and parliament can support the ministry to mobilise enough resources to procure vehicles for district offices,” he added.

The disclosure prompted the Chairman of the Assurances Committee to seek clarity on who authorised the auction of the vehicles and the reasons behind the decision.

“Honourable Minister, are you saying that new vehicles less than four years old were auctioned by whom and for what?” the Chairman asked.

“You are calling them new, but our records indicate that they were procured sometime in the first term of the past government, and then, before 2024, most of them have been auctioned.”

Responding, Mr Opoku said he was prepared to provide the committee with details on the auction of the vehicles.

“If Mr Chairman requests it, I will be ready to provide a detailed report,” he said.

The Chairman stressed the importance of receiving the report, drawing comparisons with the use and maintenance of official vehicles by Members of Parliament.

The committee is expected to receive the detailed report from the Minister on the circumstances surrounding the auction of the vehicles.