Boost agriculture to lower food prices – Economist
Development economist and Executive Director of the Institute for Development and Economic Research (IDER), Dr Felix Larry Essilfie, has stated that one of the most effective ways to make food more affordable in Ghana is to increase agricultural production.
Speaking on the Business Breakfast Show on Zed FM, Dr Essilfie explained that producing more food locally reduces reliance on imports and helps stabilise market prices.
He emphasised that increased production would not only ensure food security but also create surplus for export, which would in turn strengthen the economy.
“How we can ensure food costs are lower is to increase agricultural production, and that is the basic thing. The more you grow, the more we produce, so that we can even have some to export,” Dr Essilfie said.
commended the rice industry for its significant growth in local production, noting that this progress has supported key government initiatives such as the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy by reducing the cost of feeding in schools.
“The rice industry is doing so well because even as at last year, they had a lot in their barns. In addition, this government is now buying from them for the Free SHS programme, and this is good. Now, the students have enough and we hardly hear of food shortages in schools again,” Dr Essilfie observed.
He further stressed that agriculture plays a crucial role in reducing inflation and improving livelihoods.
Dr Essilfie therefore called on government, farmers and stakeholders to invest more in modern farming techniques, irrigation systems and value addition to sustain the gains made in the sector.
