- By Issah Olegor
Farmers across the major food-producing regions are raising concern over what they describe as a deepening agricultural crisis caused by delays in the release of funds for the government’s fertilizer subsidy programme, warning that the situation could have devastating consequences for food production and rural livelihoods.
The farmers say the continued delay in releasing funds has prevented the Ministry of Food and Agriculture from supplying subsidized fertilizers at a time when crops urgently require nutrients to ensure healthy growth and improved yields.
According to the farmers, expectations were high when the current administration assumed office, particularly after pledging to revitalize the agricultural sector and improve the welfare of farmers.
However, many now say those expectations are fading as they struggle to cope with rising production costs without the support they had anticipated.
The fertilizer subsidy programme has for years been one of the government’s key interventions aimed at improving agricultural productivity by making fertilizers affordable for smallholder farmers.
The programme has played a critical role in increasing crop yields, supporting food production and improving incomes in farming communities across the country.
However, farmers claim that since 2025 many of them have not benefited from the subsidy programme because of lack of funds, forcing them to purchase fertilizers at significantly higher market prices or abandon fertilizer application altogether due to financial constraints.
President of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, Douglas Annor, said many farmers are struggling to sustain their operations due to the high cost of fertilizers and poor returns from the sale of their produce.
According to him, the situation has made farming increasingly difficult for many households that depend on agriculture for their livelihoods.
Annor disclosed that the Association had formally written to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to request access to subsidized fertilizers for its members.
However, he said the Association is yet to receive any response from the Ministry despite the urgency of the matter.
He noted that the delay in the release of fertilizers under the 2025/2026 subsidy programme has negatively affected farming activities in several communities.
Investigations and visits to farming communities in Ejura, Nkoranza, Techiman, Goaso and Sefwi Wiawso revealed widespread frustration among farmers who say they have been left to navigate one of the most difficult farming seasons in recent years.
Across these communities, farmers complained that the absence of subsidized fertilizers has resulted in weak crop growth, declining yields and mounting financial losses.
Many farmers said they had expected government support to cushion them against rising agricultural input costs.
Instead, they say they have been left to bear the burden alone while fertilizer prices continue to climb beyond the reach of many small-scale producers.
Several farmers disclosed that they have reduced the size of their farms because they can no longer afford the quantity of fertilizer needed to cultivate larger acreages.
Others said they have delayed fertilizer application entirely, raising fears that harvests could fall sharply if crops fail to receive the nutrients necessary for healthy development.
The concerns come at a time when Ghana continues to grapple with broader challenges in the agricultural sector, including rising input costs, climate variability, access to financing and post-harvest losses.
Agricultural experts have consistently emphasized the importance of fertilizer application in sustaining productivity, particularly in food-producing regions where soil fertility has declined due to continuous cultivation.
In the farming communities visited, many producers warned that prolonged delays in fertilizer support could discourage the next generation from entering agriculture.
According to them, younger people are already showing less interest in farming because of the increasing costs and uncertainties associated with the sector.
Some farmers fear that if government support systems continue to weaken, the country could witness a decline in agricultural participation, especially among the youth.
At Goaso in the Ahafo Region, veteran farmer Opanin Kwaku Ntiamoah expressed deep concern about the worsening conditions confronting farmers.
Having spent more than three decades in agriculture, he described the current situation as one of the most difficult periods he has witnessed in his farming career.
According to him, farming has sustained his family and provided livelihoods for many households within his community, but the lack of affordable fertilizers is gradually eroding the gains farmers have worked hard to achieve.
“The farms are hungry,” he lamented.
“Without fertilizer, the crops cannot grow well, and without good harvests, we cannot take care of our families. We are suffering and we do not know how long we can continue like this.”
His sentiments echoed those of many other farmers who say they are watching helplessly as crops struggle under nutrient deficiencies while hopes of receiving subsidized fertilizers continue to diminish.
For many farming households, the uncertainty has created anxiety about the coming harvest season, with fears that poor yields could translate into reduced incomes, increased indebtedness and worsening living conditions.
The farmers insist that the problem is not a lack of willingness to work but rather the absence of critical support needed to sustain production.
They therefore believe that immediate intervention from government could prevent what they describe as an impending agricultural setback.
The farmers are now calling on the Ministry of Finance to urgently release funds earmarked for the fertilizer subsidy programme to enable the Ministry of Food and Agriculture distribute inputs to farmers without further delay.
