NPP GERMANY
PRESS RELEASE
13—04—2026
John Mahama–NDC Must Fix This Broken Agricultural Sector As A State Of Emergency—NPP GERMANY
NPP GERMANY branch is alarmed by current events troubling Ghana’s agricultural sector.
As a matter of fact, the Agric is not just struggling—it is collapsing under the weight of neglect, poor policy direction, and chronic complacency by the current John Dramani Mahama-led administration.
At a time when food security should be treated as a national priority, the government’s response has been nothing more than rehearsed statements, policy slogans, and ceremonial engagements.
The reality on the ground tells a far more troubling story—one of dependency, vulnerability, and a dangerous erosion of national agricultural capacity.
The recent development involving Burkina Faso’s decision to resume tomato exports to Ghana has been celebrated by government officials as a “victory” for diplomacy.
See news reference here: https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/business/Government-welcomes-Burkina-Faso-s-decision-to-resume-tomato-trade-2028479
But this so-called victory is, in truth, a national embarrassment. How does a country with vast arable land, favorable climate, and a large unemployed youth population become so dependent on tomato imports that it must celebrate another country’s decision to feed its people?
This is not diplomacy—it is dependency dressed up as achievement.
Ghana’s tomato crisis exposes a deeper structural failure: the inability of the state to build resilient local production systems.
For years, successive governments—now led again by John Dramani Mahama—have promised irrigation projects, mechanization, and agro-processing support.
Yet farmers continue to rely on rainfall, outdated tools, and unstable market conditions that discourage production.
The result is predictable: shortages, price hikes, and a humiliating reliance on imports.
Even more alarming is the onion crisis stemming from Nigeria’s suspension of exports to Ghana.
See news reference here about the ban on onions too:
This is not merely a trade dispute—it is a glaring sign of a broken system that cannot guarantee basic food supply without external support.
When Nigerian traders can halt onion exports and destabilize Ghanaian markets overnight, it reveals just how fragile the country’s food security framework has become.
A nation that cannot feed itself is a nation constantly on the brink of crisis.
And yet, the government continues to respond with press releases instead of decisive action.
Initiatives like “Feed Ghana” and “Feed the Industry” sound promising on paper, but where is the measurable impact?
Where are the large-scale irrigation systems that would allow year-round farming?
Where are the agro-processing factories that should be absorbing excess produce and stabilizing prices?
Where is the strategic investment that turns agriculture into a profitable, modern enterprise?
The truth is that Ghana’s agricultural sector suffers from policy inconsistency, weak implementation, and a lack of urgency at the highest levels of government.
Under John Dramani Mahama, the sector appears to be drifting rather than being driven.
Lip service has replaced leadership, and rhetoric has replaced results.
This must change—and it must change now. Ghana needs to declare a state of emergency in agriculture, not as a symbolic gesture, but as a concrete policy framework that mobilizes resources, expertise, and political will.
This means massive investment in irrigation infrastructure, mechanized farming, and rural logistics.
It means protecting local farmers while enforcing fair trade practices that do not leave the country exposed to external shocks.
It means creating a value chain that links production to processing, storage, and distribution in a seamless, efficient system.
Above all, it requires leadership that understands that agriculture is not a talking point—it is the backbone of national survival.
Until the National Democratic Congress government moves beyond empty assurances and takes bold, immediate action, Ghana will remain trapped in a cycle of dependency, humiliation, and preventable food crises.
This cannot — and must not — be business as usual.
God Bless Our Homeland Ghana!!!
Long Live Ghana, long live the Elephant Party!!!!
Kukruduuuu Eeeessshiii!!!
Signed:
Nana Osei Boateng
NPP GERMANY
Communications Director
