The Northern Regional branch of the Ghana Agri-Input Dealers Association (GAIDA) through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture today has advocated for the establishment of plant and fertilizer fund as provided as part of the Plant and Fertilizer Act 2010, Act 803 to finance research and investigations relating to fertilizers being used.

The Ghana Agri-Input Dealers Association (GAIDA) is a national body of agricultural input dealers in Ghana officially launched in September 2004 with the vision to achieve excellence in the provision of agricultural inputs and maximize food productivity for a healthy nation.

The objectives of GAIDA include bringing all agri-input dealers in Ghana together under the association to provide a forum to acquire and disseminate information on the safe and effective use of agri-inputs. It is also to collaborate with governmental, Non-Governmental, Sub-regional, and international bodies to create an atmosphere for the realization of our objectives.

In a press statement signed by the Northern Regional Secretary of GAIDA, Mr. Mohammed Mahamud, explained that the act of advocacy is as a result of recent cries from some farmers in the Northern Region with regards to the potency and efficacy of some fertilizer products sold to them.

They explained that there has been persistent complains by farmers in relation to the yield levels of some fertilizer products and have threatened to stop the purchase of those fertilizer products if nothing is done about the situation. GAIDA added that the establishment of the Plant and Fertilizer fund will go a long way to prevent and curb the menace of fake and adulteration of fertilizer products in the country through rigorous investigations by relevant state institutions and duty bearers.

The association made it eminent that the advocacy is supported by the Business sector Advocacy Challenge Fund (BUSAC Fund) and their partners USAID, DANIDA and EU.

“The farmers have persistently complained about the yield levels of some of the fertilizer products and have threatened to stop buying those fertilizer products in some cases if nothing is done about the situation. The establishment of the plant and fertilizer fund for the purpose of financing research and investigations relating to fertilizers will also go a long way to prevent and curb the menace of fake and adulteration of fertilizer products in the country through rigorous investigations by relevant state institutions and duty bearers.

The advocacy action is supported by the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge Fund (BUSAC Fund) and their partners USAID, DANIDA and EU”

The association has therefore called on government through the Ministry of Food and |Agriculture to translate its commitment and willingness to ensure a sustained food production, by making the Plant and Fertilizer Fund operational.

“GAIDA is therefore calling on the government through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to translate its commitment and willingness to ensure a sustained food production, by making the Plant and Fertilizer Fund operational”

The association is also calling on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Agriculture to hasten the pace of parliament in capturing the PFF under the consolidated fund. As part of the Act 208 of the Plant and Fertilizer Act, Part Four, the main source of funding for the PFF is through money approved by parliament. The Parliamentary Select Committee on Agriculture should therefore work to clear all bottlenecks impeding the implementation of the Act 803.

GAIDA has however appealed to Government to equip Fertilizer research organizations to enable them continue their oversight role on both standards and quality of fertilizers. This could be in a form of infrastructure and the expertise to help these organizations continue to carry out continuous research on the standards of fertilizers that come into the country.