Some rice farmers at Amartey Kope
Rice farmers at Amartey Kope, a farming community near Akuse in the Eastern Region, have acknowledged the government’s continued support for their trade but are calling for a more direct and transparent delivery of that support, free from political interference.
The farmers made this known during a visit by officials from the AritaGlobe Foundation, who were in the community to assess the impact of climate change on farming as part of the Foundation’s ongoing Green Dialogue Series Project.
According to the farmers, while the government has introduced several commendable initiatives to support agriculture, the challenge has always been ensuring the assistance reaches the right people.
Speaking during the engagement, Jones Akpaglo, a local rice farmer, noted:
“The government can step in. For instance, it can provide subsidies to farmers. The government needs to channel the resources through the right people so that peasant farmers can benefit,” he stated.
He stressed that the issue is not the absence of help but rather how it is distributed.
“But sometimes, because of politics, even though the government implements good initiatives, the support does not reach those who truly need it to make good use of it. We need to target those who genuinely require assistance to ensure the intended purpose of those funds is realized,” he added.
He further described the high cost of rice production and the increasing risks climate change poses to their investments.
“Right from land preparation, you need money because sometimes you have to spray the farm three times with weedicide before preparing the land. Then, the machine that comes to plough the land—all these things are capital-intensive. Imagine investing GH¢20,000 and ending up with nothing. What happens to you? How will you take care of your family? These are the challenges really affecting us,” he lamented.
The AritaGlobe Foundation’s visit to Amartey Kope is part of a broader effort to gather firsthand accounts from farmers affected by climate change. The insights gathered will contribute to a national report and documentary aimed at influencing policy and improving climate adaptation strategies for farmers across Ghana.
For the farmers in Amartey Kope, the message is clear: government support is appreciated, but it must reach the grassroots directly, fairly, and without political barriers.
