Ghana’s agricultural sector, once the backbone of the economy, is steadily being pushed into decline, not by nature, but by neglect. The latest reports of onion farmers in the North East Region struggling to find buyers are not an isolated incident but a symptom of a deeper, long-standing failure by successive governments to rejuvenate and modernise agriculture. For decades, political leaders have paid lip service to agriculture, branding it as the “engine of growth,” yet the constant struggling of farmers tells a different story, one of abandonment, uncertainty, and recurring losses.
Just days ago, news that Burkina Faso had banned the export of tomatoes sent shockwaves across Ghana. Markets panicked, consumers worried, and policymakers scrambled for responses. Yet the real question remains why Ghana, a country blessed with vast fertile lands, should be so dependent on its neighbours for basic food commodities like tomatoes? The answer lies in a persistent failure to support local production in a structured and sustainable way.
Across the country, from the North East to the Upper West, farmers continue to battle poor market access, lack of storage facilities, weak value chains, and minimal government support. The result is a cruel paradox where bumper harvests often translate into massive losses instead of profit. Onion farmers are now counting their losses as produce rots due to a lack of buyers, a situation that mirrors what maize farmers experienced not long ago when prices plummeted drastically after harvest. For many young people who ventured into farming with hope last year, the experience has been devastating, leaving them with little capital and even less confidence to return to the fields.
What is the purpose of the agricultural Ministries, the regional and district directors who draw fat and juicy salaries and other allowances yet farmers are struggling? We keep training agric extension officers at the expense of the state yet we don't know what they do.
Farming in Ghana is increasingly becoming an unattractive venture, particularly for the youth. It is labour-intensive, fraught with risk, and offers little assurance of profit. Without guaranteed markets, price stabilisation mechanisms, or adequate support systems, many farmers operate at the mercy of unpredictable forces. This growing unattractiveness of agriculture has far-reaching consequences, especially in the ongoing fight against illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.
Successive governments have declared war on galamsey due to its devastating environmental impact, yet their approach has largely ignored the economic realities driving many into the activity. For young people in rural communities, farming was expected to serve as a viable alternative, but when it leads to losses, debt, and frustration, the attraction of illegal mining becomes difficult to resist. Galamsey, despite its risks, offers quicker and more reliable financial returns, making it a more appealing option for those struggling to survive through farming.
The implications are clear. A young farmer who loses money growing maize one season and faces similar uncertainty with onions the next is unlikely to remain committed to agriculture. Without deliberate and sustained intervention, many will inevitably drift toward activities that promise immediate income, even at great environmental cost. Therefore, the fight against galamsey can never be won by mere political slogans.
Ghana cannot continue on this trajectory without serious consequences for food security, environmental sustainability, and national development. Addressing these challenges requires more than rhetoric. There must be deliberate investment in storage and processing facilities to reduce post-harvest losses, the establishment of reliable market systems and price stabilisation mechanisms, improved access to affordable credit and farming inputs, and policy frameworks that genuinely prioritise the welfare of farmers.
The struggles of onion farmers in the North East Region, following closely on the heels of the difficulties faced by maize farmers, point to a growing pattern of systemic failure. If this trend is not urgently reversed, the country risks losing not only its farmers but also any meaningful progress in combating illegal mining, as economic desperation continues to push many toward more lucrative but destructive alternatives.
The Trial News
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