The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Legacy Crop Improvement Centre, Mr. Amos Rutherford Azinu, has called on the government to focus on the efficient implementation of agricultural policies to revitalize Ghana’s farming sector.

He expressed concern that while the country has numerous policy documents, many remain unimplemented, gathering dust while the agriculture sector faces persistent challenges.

Speaking at the 4th Food Security Lecture organized by the FESF Foundation, themed “Resetting Agriculture in Ghana,” Mr. Azinu criticized the politicization of agricultural programmes, stating that such initiatives are often seen as avenues for financial gain rather than genuine reform.

He cited the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme as an example, noting that despite GH₵2.8 million spent on its first phase over six years under the previous government, Ghana still imports significant quantities of maize.

He stressed that this situation raises questions of accountability, as taxpayers’ funds have been used without producing the intended outcomes.

According to Mr. Azinu, a fundamental mindset change is needed to transform the agricultural sector, but more importantly, existing policies must be actively implemented rather than merely formulated.

The event, which brought together key stakeholders and government officials within the food value chain, aimed to address the challenges facing Ghana’s agriculture sector and identify innovative solutions to enhance food security.

Dr. Peter Boamah Otukonor, Director of Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness at the Presidency, who chaired the event, outlined critical areas of focus to improve the sector’s performance.

Dr. Richard Bani, Founder of the FESF Foundation, reiterated the foundation’s commitment to tackling food security challenges and pledged that recommendations from the event would be documented, analyzed, and forwarded to relevant authorities for implementation.