EDITORIAL TEAM
FROM THE EDITOR
Agriculture matters, walk the talk
It is interesting that both Ghana’ s presidential hopefuls are slugging it out on who has the best plans to revive a dormant sector that could have profound implications for the future of this west African nation and impact millions of its people. That Ghana is a net importer of staple food is a travesty in itself for a country with about 66 percent of its land area classified as suitable for agriculture. As we note in our feature on Ghana politics, the country imports about $ 500 million worth of rice per year, and about $ 1 billion worth of tomatoes and oil and chicken. The country controls about 15 percent of the world cocoa market, which is invariably dominated by its neighbour, Cote D’ Ivoire. Agriculture contributes about 40 percent of Ghana’ s GDP, accounting for about half of its export earnings and employs over half of its population, formally and informally. In 1992, the share of agriculture to the country’ s Gross Domestic Product( GDP) was 23.6 percent, growing to about 41 percent in 1995. But the Ghana Statistical Service reports that the contribution of agriculture to GDP declined from 29.8 percent in 2010 to 22 percent at the end of last year.
A report by the World Bank Group showed that about 21 percent of the Ghanaian population has moved out of agriculture to other more productive economic sectors over the 18-year period between 1992 and 2010. So it goes without saying that agriculture is Ghana ' s most important economic sector, more so than oil. But prior to 2008, Ghanaian governments had basically ignored the sector for two decades. So the sector needs more than just political lip service. Africa has enjoyed sustained agricultural productivity growth since 2005 and Ghana is late to the party. According to the New Partnership for Africa’ s Development( NEPAD), agriculture today accounts for 32 % of GDP in Africa and is the sector that offers greatest potential for poverty reduction and job creation, particularly among vulnerable rural populations and urban dwellers with limited job opportunities.
Growth generated by agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa is estimated to be 11 times more effective in reducing poverty than GDP growth in other sectors – a vital multiplier given that 65 % of the continent’ s labour force is engaged in agriculture. A vibrant, sustainable and resilient agriculture sector is vital for Ghana’ s, and indeed the sub-Saharan Africa’ s economic future. Ghana’ s national economic plan, known as Ghana Vision 2020 launched in 1995, envisions Ghana as the first African nation to become a developed country between 2020 and 2029 and a newly industrialized country between 2030 and 2039 through the integration of science and technology in governmental programmes, including in the agricultural sector. Lofty ambitions but the journey has to start somewhere. Our politicians need to start walking the talk to unlock the potential of this sector.
Alfonce Mbizwo alfonce @ businesstimesafrica. net
Editor Alfonce Mbizwo alfonce @ businesstimesafrica. net
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