Ghana is likely to face severe food shortages and hunger in the last quarter of 2022 and 2023, the Northern Development and Democratic Institute (NDDI) has said.

According to the Institute, this is because government is not heeding global warnings on the looming food crisis.

The Tamale-based premier liberal public policy think-tank revealed that the monstrous effects of Covid -19 on the global food supply chain and the entire global agriculture production targets are not completely waned.

According to the NDDI, the Russia-Ukraine war would adversely compound the food security challenges around the world, especially in countries within Sub-Sahara Africa, due to shortages in natural gas and fertilizer supplies.

The think-tank, in a press release signed by its Executive Chairman, Mustapha Sanah indicated that the Institute has conducted a snap pre-planting season assessment in 11 well known agriculture-advantaged Districts in Northern Ghana between April 25, and May 12, 2022, which shows an acute shortage of fertilizer for smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana.

In some instances, fertilizer companies are selling at higher prices outside the reach of smallholders citing a lack of government interest in paying their previous supplies.

Mr Sanah warned government and the Ministry of Agriculture to re-assess the nation's food security strategy and heed global leaders’ caution to invest more in agriculture, especially fertiliser.

The world leaders, World Bank, IMF, WFP and WTO, warned that ‘’The rise in food prices is exacerbated by a dramatic increase in the cost of natural gas, a key ingredient of nitrogenous fertilizer.

Surging fertilizer prices along with significant cuts in global supplies have important implications for food production in most countries, including major producers and exporters, who rely heavily on fertilizer imports.

The increase in food prices and supply shocks can fuel social tensions in many affected countries, especially those already fragile or affected by conflicts.

According to the press release, the NDDI "collated 42,240 views from 173 farmer-based organizations, 16,200 smallholder farmers, 13 agriculture mechanisation service providers, 18 agricultural extension officers, 108 women groups and 16 traditional authorities.

"The study also noticed the reluctance of local agriculture departments officials readiness to speak to researchers on the current situation."

The release emphasised the need for the government to consolidate its flagship Planting for Food and Jobs programme by making efforts to ensure the availability of fertilizer to all farmers.

According to the release: “The Ministry of Agriculture and government should delay no further in making payment to importers and fertilizer companies to ensure availability of subsidized fertilizer in the market. This preventive measure will ultimately mitigate the crisis when food shortages arise.”

The release urged the international community and the country’s development partners to support the government of Ghana to pay fertilizer companies monies owed them by government to pave way for new supplies into the market.

“We call on the international community especially the World Bank, IMF, WFP and WTO, EU and UN agencies and all our development partners to hasten steps to support the government of Ghana to provide fertilizer to smallholder farmers in Ghana.”