Dr Peter Boamah Otokunor, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) spokesperson on agriculture, has outlined the party’s ambitious plans to revitalise Ghana’s economy by prioritizing the agricultural sector.

Addressing supporters at the NDC’s final rally at Zurak Park in Madina on Thursday, 5th December 2024, Dr Otokunor stressed that agriculture is the bedrock of Ghana’s economy and essential to overcoming the country’s current economic challenges.

He argued that enhancing agricultural productivity would lead to improved livelihoods and national development.

Dr Otokunor expressed concern over the sector's current state, which he described as fraught with persistent challenges affecting cash crop production, food crops, and livestock farming.

He criticized the lack of effective policies to address these issues, asserting that a transformative approach was urgently needed.

Outlining the NDC’s strategy, he revealed that a future government led by John Dramani Mahama would implement a robust framework to turn agriculture into a powerful driver of economic growth.

This framework, he noted, would focus on increasing production, creating jobs, and ensuring food security.

He urged Ghanaians to back the NDC’s vision for a thriving agricultural sector that would underpin the country’s sustainable development.

“Ghana’s problem is an agricultural problem because the basic needs of man are food, clothing, and shelter, and all these three are agriculture. The economy is struggling generally in terms of pricing, exchange rate, and all that because of agriculture, and so President [John Dramani] Mahama, knowing and understanding this challenge, is proposing an Agriculture for Transformation Programme, which will tend to lead the economic transformation of Ghana to agriculture."

“And to be able to do that, you first need to identify what exactly is the problem of agriculture in Ghana. What are the problems of farmers in Ghana, and so we have plans for the cash crop sector, the food crop sector, and the livestock sector because these three arms of agriculture are struggling," he said.