Tamale-Ghana, April 28, GNA – Yara Ghana, a fertilizer company, has assured farmers in the country of the availability of fertilizers in the quantities required and at affordable prices to make this year’s farming season successful.
Mr Kudjoe Agbenyega, Acting Managing Director of Yara Ghana, who gave the assurance, said “This year, I can assure that there will be no shortage of fertilizers as far as Yara is concerned. We will bring all the products in the quantities that are required to make the season successful. So, farmers can rest assured that fertilizers will be readily available for them in every part of the country.”
He was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tamale on the sidelines of a stakeholders’ meeting on the Sustainable Soyabean Production in Northern Ghana project.
The GNA sought to find out measures put in place to ensure availability of fertilizers for this year’s farming season given the fact that there had been a shortage of fertilizers in previous years, which was attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
Mr Agbenyega said “You know we had the issue of COVID-19, which necessitated that some countries held back on exports. For example, China held back, some countries in Europe also held back. Thankfully, COVID-19 is behind us now even though we still have some challenges with COVID-19. So, because of that, prices shot up a little. But now thankfully, prices are going down and we are happy to pass on that reduction in price to our farmers.”
He spoke about the Russia-Ukraine situation on imports saying “It affected imports last year but generally, we have found solutions; other sources of bringing fertilizer to Ghana. So, that problem has been solved a little. There are still issues of imports from Russia but by and large, I think we have seen the end of that problem.”
On the Grow Ghana Project being implemented by the company; Yara Ghana said it was running this year as well adding it had started in the south of the country where the farming season had begun and would be replicated in the north of the country too at the beginning of farming season.
Under the Grow Ghana Project, farmers are to buy two bags of fertilizer and receive one bag free.
Mr Agbenyega said “We are very happy to help the farmer to farm in a very scientific way in a way that will help them improve their livelihoods, and income levels.”