Programmes Officer for Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), Bismark Nortey, has appealed to Ghanaians to buy locally produced food items.

He said local farmers produce about 70- 80% of the food in the country, therefore when these are patronise, they will further be empowered economically to produce more.

He also called on the government to provide them the market to sell their produce.

Speaking on Accra-based UTV, on the occasion of the Farmers Day celebration on Friday December 6 their challenges have been increasing over the years despite some interventions by the government.

“In as much as we and the government are looking forward to celebrations like this, we expect the government to provide our needs instead of always initiating programmes. We plead for the programmes to be implemented to the extent that the objectives will be achieved,” he said.

He further pleaded with the government to enhance small-scale farming, adding that they produce about 70-80% of the produce consumed in the country.

“We do not have large scale but in terms of numbers and output, we produce about 70- 80% of the food we eat in the country. If you buy your tomatoes, you are consuming the effort of the peasant farmer but not the commercial farmers,” he said.