High cost of food items: Lands available for food production declining, galamseyers are taking over – Kareweh

General Secretary of the General Agriculture Workers Union (GAWU) Edward Kareweh has attributed the rising cost of food items to factors including the decline in lands available for food production.

He revealed that most of the farmlands have been encroached upon by illegal small-scale miners (Galamsey), thereby rendering the farmers incapable of expanding their production.

Explaining the factors causing increasing food prices in Ghana on the Key Points on TV3 Saturday, July 20, Mr Kareweh also identified the government’s commitment to agriculture as a factor.

He said “Whether or not the government is increasing an investment level good for agric, is an issue., If the government’s investment is reduced it is possible that the total output will reduce because farmers can’t produce.

“Second, galamsey which is major issue, all agricultural lands including cocoa, oil palm rubber are all encroached. If oil palms can be encroached how much maize farms,” he said.

He added “The existing farms are encroached. The lands available to be used for production have been encroached on, and the overall landscape available for farms is reducing. Lands available for food production are declining.”

Mr Kareweh also mentioned the impact of climate change as a factor causing high food prices.

“Climate change is also here with us, the rains don’t come at the time we expect and when they come we can’t even control it,” he said.

He commended the government’s idea of creating the One Village One Dam but noted that no dam has been constructed under the policy although money has been spent.

“We can’t boast of any single dam built, One Village, One Dam policy is good but the projects do not exist even though money has been spent.

“If it is a dam for irrigation, it must be able to contain a lot of water to use when you need it. We do not have a dam. All the government did was to do rehabilitate some existing dams but we have not added significantly to irrigation agric.”

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