Agricultural modernization can best be described as the process of transforming traditional methods of farming which often lead to low crop yields, the idea being that agricultural practices will bring into fruition more productive and efficient systems using modern technologies and methods.
It also involves putting in place advancements in agricultural science, technology, and management to enhance output, improve output through resource utilization, by increasing the overall sustainability of the farming sector in Ghana.
By shifting from Traditional Practices, modernization means is a movement away from outdated techniques like manual labor, reliance on rainfall, and limited access to inputs like fertilizers and the like.
It means also embracing new technologies, which include but not limited to the adoption of mechanization (tractors, harvesters), improved irrigation systems, the use of high-yielding crop varieties, and modern precision farming techniques.
The focus must be based on inputs and outputs of agriculture in Ghana such that modernization that is being envisaged should also involve the use of industry supplied inputs like fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals to boost crop yields.
Agriculture modernization cannot be achieved without focusing on the importance of human resource in the agricultural sector of the Ghanaian economy. It is trite to state that agricultural modernization is not just about technology; it requires also the idea of developing a skilled workforce capable of managing and utilizing these new technologies effectively.
There is the need for institutional and infrastructure support base, which is very necessary to improve infrastructure such as roads, storage facilities, market access and policies and programmes that is very good for the of adoption of modern agricultural practices.
For agric modernization to succeed in Ghana, it also involves sustainable farming practices like crop rotation, organic farming, and water management to ensure long-term productivity and environmental protection.
For effective economic transformation in the agric sector in Ghana, modernization is a key driver of economic growth and development, particularly by boosting food production, creating jobs, and improving livelihoods.
Agricultural modernization is a very laudable concept. However the current situation in Ghana’s agricultural sector has some barriers militating against the successful implementation of the concept. They include but not limited to high illiteracy, ignorance or lack of knowledge, political interference and corruption
In Ghana many people think and believe that farm mechnirnization is agricultural modernization. Indeed farm mechanization is only a major component of the whole idea, but not the whole thing. These issues as put out here therefore indicate that Ghana’s agricultural sector cannot be modernized without the farmer modernizing himself or herself.
Farming today is a complex venture which requires that the farmer must know modern trends of agriculture of what to do, when to do what, how to do what, where to do what, why something is being done among others. And to acquire these essential attributes, the average Ghanaian farmer must have some basic training in agribusiness
WHAT IS AGRIBUSINESS?
Agribusiness is a farming system in which the farmer’s resources (factors of production) are being optimally combined and the best available technology is being applied or employed to turn out farm produce to sell for profit. In this regard, the farmer must have some knowledge and skills and the right attitude towards farming to succeed in his or her farming business, otherwise he or she will only be meddling with the soil in the name of farming.
The concept of agribusiness requires the farmer to target at the following as a sign post towards successful agribusiness venture. The farmer should be market oriented and have at his disposal a commercially oriented Farmer Based Organizations (FBSs),this is because, such farmers must have expressed early interest in agric business.
There should also that conscious efforts to be made to identity the FBO’s engagements in government’s targeted crops for farming in agribusiness. Each of such farmers should be given a tractor and its full complements of equipment
Special attention should be given to them in their agribusiness ventures with the three basic thematic areas for the agribusiness training requirements under the following: Entrepreneurial awareness creation, farm business management and group formation and development.
BARRIERS TO AGRICULTURAL MODERNIZATION IN GHANA
There are several barriers towards agric modernization in Ghana and these include:
(a)Illiteracy-Because most of the farmers in Ghana are not literate, record keeping is either not available or record keeping very poor, if any at all. However, record keeping is necessary because, it helps in cash control, and records indicate to the farmer and others how the farm business is going on. Again, records help in planning for the future, and in fact, a very good financial record enhance accountability in farming business
(b)Another factor is ignorance or lack of knowledge. Farmers are ignorant about the scope of Agribusiness. The essence of every business is to make profit. Without adequate and accurate financial records the farmer is unable to tell whether he or she is running the business at a loss or profit. And this does not augur well for modern agricultural business.
(c) Political Interference: During the Kwame Nkrumah regime in the first Republic, the writer of this article was the officer in charge of agricultural mechanization in the then Tumu District (currently the Sissala East and West Municipality and District respectively of the Upper West Region).
He had at his disposal as at the time, a fleet of tractors under his command and control to serve the farmers in those jurisdictions. Agricultural Technical Officers (TOs) were strategically stationed at vantage points (sub districts operational arrears) to take charge of tractors and always sent to them to serve farmers where their services were needed.
In the course of time, the government decided to appoint regional and district chief farmers, and farm supplies and marketing officers, and posted them to the various districts (the then Wa District (now Wa Municipal, Wa East and West districts and Nadowli, and the former Lawra Confederacy District (now, Jirapa, Lawra and Nandom Municipalities and Lambusie Districts) to supervise the Agricultural Technical Officers, and their district officers there, who also had mechanization centers like the Tumu one.
These political appointees, who had no knowledge in farming and agriculture, were lording it over the Technical officers in those jurisdictions. They also did not know of the daily, weekly, and monthly routine maintenance of the tractors. This event led to the collapse of the agricultural mechanization exercise embarked upon by the Nkrumah regime. Almost all the tractors broke down before Nkrumah’s overthrow in 1964.
And the last but not the least is the problems confronting agriculture is corruption of: (d) Corruption
This corruption phenomenon was not pervasive in the first Republic under the regime of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah. But today the narrative has changed and a different story is being told especially with the inception of the 1992 constitution. Corruption especially in the agric sector is serious problem to grapple with and this is affecting agriculture over the years
There is also the need for the training of the Market-oriented Farmer-Based Organizations (FBOs).These Farmer-Based Organizations must be trained to become formal Associations with the following characteristics of a formal Association.
Such an FBO must have a common and known objective or goal it is working to achieve. It must have a constitution to guide its operations. It must have a bank account. It must have known its leadership and membership roles. It must identify and abide by the FBO’s values, beliefs among other things. And all relevant information should flow freely in the FOB’s membership. Without these characteristics, the market-oriented FBOs are not likely to develop and flourish in their agribusiness ventures.
CONCLUSION
The useless, senseless and needless politicization of everything in Ghana including government institutions will eventually lead Ghana to a national self-annihilation especially in the agricultural sector.
There should be that conscious efforts by the government of the day to ensure that the agric sector of the economy is given the necessary boost so that the people of Ghana with modernization of agriculture can feed the population of Ghana.
If President John Dramani Mahatma’s proposed service centers are to be located and manned by political appointees, then we can confidently that the policy will be a failure in advance and dead on arrival. Therefore let those who have the skills and know-how and are politically neutral be given the opportunity to handle issues of agriculture in Ghana and the country will be better off.
William Z. Nambie
(Senior Citizen and an agriculturist)
Upper West Region, Ghana.
