The Minority in Parliament is using this year’s Farmers’ Day to draw national attention to what it calls a deepening emergency across Ghana’s agricultural and fisheries sectors. Rather than a day reserved solely for celebration, the caucus believes the occasion should spotlight the struggles of farmers and fishers who, despite immense hardships, continue to sustain the nation.
In a statement signed by Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the group praised the resilience of agricultural workers but warned that 2025 has introduced some of the most severe challenges in recent memory. They highlighted a collapsed grain market, where more than one million metric tonnes of paddy rice—worth an estimated GH¢5 billion—remain unsold in barns and warehouses across the northern regions. According to the caucus, this crisis stems from the government’s failure to honour promises that the National Food Buffer Stock Company would purchase all locally produced maize and rice.
The Minority also expressed concern for the fisheries sector, saluting fishers who continue to work despite depleted fish stocks, illegal fishing practices, and worsening logistical challenges. They said the situation has now reached an acute stage. In Keta, for instance, chronic shortages of premix fuel have reportedly brought fishing activities to a standstill, leaving boats idle and families without income. The caucus described this as evidence of systemic mismanagement that has “left livelihoods frozen and households hungry.”
They argued that the government’s inability to ensure consistent premix distribution represents a fundamental failure in protecting coastal communities whose economies depend on fishing.
The caucus further noted that frustration across the agricultural sector has boiled over into demonstrations throughout the year. Farmer groups have boycotted national celebrations and marched through cities like Tamale to protest the government’s failure to buy their produce. This, they said, mirrors the desperation seen in fishing communities battling neglect and economic decline.
Smuggled rice, expired imports, and cheap foreign products were also cited as key threats undermining local producers. The Minority insisted that no Ghanaian farmer or fisher can survive an environment where untaxed and unregulated imports flood the market unchecked.
They also raised alarms about the cocoa sector, where global price volatility and illegal mining have eroded livelihoods. Reports from COCOBOD, they said, indicate that 30,000 hectares of cocoa farms have been lost to galamsey, leaving many farmers with degraded land and poisonous water sources.
Environmental decline was another major point of concern. The caucus referenced warnings from the Ghana Water Company about dangerous turbidity levels in major rivers such as the Ayensu—a situation they said is killing aquatic life and worsening the plight of fishing communities. In their view, it is impossible to celebrate Farmers’ and Fishers’ Day “while our rivers die due to governmental incompetence.”
The statement argued that Ghana continues to rely heavily on imported food despite rising local production costs. This, they warned, is unsustainable.
For the Minority, a national turnaround requires urgent investments in technology and modernisation. They called for the adoption of drones, precision agriculture systems, digital monitoring tools, AI platforms, and stock assessment technology to make Ghana’s agriculture and blue economy competitive.
To address the immediate crisis, they issued a series of demands:
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Purchase all unsold rice and maize immediately.
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Restore premix fuel supply beginning with Keta.
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Clamp down on smuggled and expired imports;
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Intensify action against illegal mining and fishing;
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Boost funding for Feed Ghana.
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support farmers with subsidies for modern tools;
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and accelerate investments in irrigation, cold-chain systems, landing sites, rural roads, and processing facilities.
The caucus closed with a tribute to farmers and fishers nationwide, acknowledging their sacrifices and reaffirming its commitment to defending their interests.
“Your courage feeds Ghana,” the statement said. “Your labour strengthens our democracy. Happy Farmers’ Day to all the heroes who feed the nation.”
