The Sanahene of the Enyan Denkyira Traditional Council in the Central Region, Osadeayo Ayeboafo Etuaful, has threatened to mobilise farmers across the country for a massive demonstration over what he describes as years of government neglect of the agricultural sector.
He accused successive governments of failing to address the worsening living conditions of farmers, despite their critical role in feeding the nation and sustaining the economy.
Speaking to MyNewsGh.com’s Hajia Asana Gordon after the inauguration of the Central Regional Fruits Producers Union at Ekumfi Abor, Osadeayo Etuaful said the situation had reached a point where farmers needed to unite and demand urgent action.
“For so many years farmers have been taking care of this country, but their situation, their livelihood, is very bad, and both the current and previous governments are not paying attention. It has reached a time when farmers must mobilise and do serious demonstrations,” he said.
The traditional leader questioned why the concerns of farmers appeared to receive less attention than those of other professional groups when they embarked on industrial action.
“If teachers do demonstration, government pays attention to them. If doctors or nurses go on strike, government pays attention to them. What about farmers?” he asked.
He subsequently urged farmers to lay down their cutlasses and suspend farming activities until the government gives the sector the attention it deserves.
Recalling the 1983 famine in Ghana, Osadeayo Etuaful warned of the potential consequences if farmers stopped producing food, questioning how the country would feed itself under such circumstances.
He argued that farmers were becoming increasingly impoverished not necessarily because of their own shortcomings, but because of economic management challenges and what he considers persistent government neglect.
The Sanahene, who also engages in farming on a part-time basis, expressed disappointment over what he described as the declining state of the agricultural sector.
He called on the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to take urgent steps to revive the sector and improve the livelihoods of farmers.
His comments add to calls for greater government attention to agriculture, a sector that remains central to Ghana’s food security and the livelihoods of many households.
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