The Offinso North District Assembly has distributed 1,200 bags of NPK fertiliser to 126 registered farmer-based organisations across the district under the President John Dramani Mahama’s Free Fertiliser Initiative.
The intervention, being implemented through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), is aimed at supporting farmers with essential agricultural inputs to increase crop production, improve yields and reduce the financial burden associated with farming.
The distribution ceremony, held at Akumadan, brought together representatives of the beneficiary farmer organisations and stakeholders in agriculture.
Speaking at the event, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for Offinso North, Hon. Caezar Ofosu Acheampong, said the provision of the fertiliser was part of government’s broader efforts to revive and strengthen Ghana’s agricultural sector.
He said the initiative demonstrated the government’s commitment to creating the necessary conditions for farmers to expand production and contribute significantly to food security.
According to him, the government recognised the challenges farmers faced in accessing farm inputs, particularly the rising cost of fertilisers, and had therefore introduced the free fertiliser programme to ease that burden.
“The fertiliser is meant purposely to support agriculture under President Mahama’s Free Fertiliser Initiative. The government is doing this to boost agriculture across the country and to reduce the burden on our farmers,” he said.
Fair distribution
Hon. Acheampong explained that the Assembly adopted a distribution arrangement intended to ensure fairness and transparency among the various farmer groups.
He said the fertiliser was handed over to the leadership of the registered farmer-based organisations, who were expected to distribute the inputs to their respective members according to the approved arrangements.
In all, 126 registered farmer organisations in the district benefited from the 1,200 bags of NPK fertiliser, providing farmers with an important input as they prepared and tended their crops.
The DCE stressed that the intervention was not simply about distributing fertiliser but ensuring that the support translated into increased agricultural productivity and improved livelihoods for farmers.
He encouraged the beneficiaries to use the fertiliser strictly for its intended agricultural purpose so that the government’s investment would achieve the desired results.
Warning against sale
Hon. Acheampong issued a strong warning to beneficiaries against selling the fertiliser, emphasising that the input had been provided free of charge by the government to support agricultural production.
He cautioned that any beneficiary found selling the fertiliser would face the full rigours of the law.
“Government is distributing it free of charge. Anyone caught selling it will face the full rigours of the law,” he warned.
He urged the leadership of the farmer organisations to ensure that the fertiliser reached the intended beneficiaries and was properly used on their farms.
Boost for food production
The DCE said the Assembly remained committed to working with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and other stakeholders to strengthen farming activities in the district.
He expressed the hope that the free fertiliser support would help farmers improve their yields, expand production and contribute to the availability of food in the district and beyond.
He further encouraged farmers to take advantage of government interventions designed to support agriculture and improve their productivity.
The intervention is expected to provide relief to farmers who would otherwise have had to bear the full cost of purchasing fertiliser, while contributing to the broader objective of improving food production and strengthening food security.
Hon. Acheampong assured the farming community that the Assembly would continue to support initiatives aimed at improving agriculture and enhancing the economic wellbeing of residents of the Offinso North District.
