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The Government of Ghana is facing increasing pressure to restore Ghana’s ailing agricultural sector which continues to decline in output and contribution to the economy.

Entrepreneurs, economists and the World Bank among others have warned of dire consequences for the economy of Ghana if the sector is not revived.

The table below depicts the stagnating growth of agriculture in the past four years

Year Growth (%)

2008 7.8

2009 7.2

2010 5.3

2011 0.8

2012 2.3

2013 5

2014 4.6

2015 0.04

Indeed, the crops sub-sector, the dominant factor in agriculture, experienced a negative growth rate of -1.7 per cent in 2015.

Experts have bemoaned the paltry budgetary allocation made to the sector, a development they believe has contributed to the sector’s persistent decline.

For instance in 2009, 3 per cent of the national budget was allocated to Agriculture. Allocation to the sector declined to 1.9 per cent in 2012 and the 1.03 per cent in 2013.

In 2014, only 1.07 per cent of the total budget went to Agriculture. A total of GH¢484.3 million equivalent to 1.1 per cent was allocated to the two ministries of Food and Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture Development in 2015.

This year, allocations to the two ministries of Food and Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture development sum up to GH¢554,208,420 which is equivalent to 1.1per cent.

These paltry allocations have been made against the background of the Maputo declaration, which recommends that governments in Africa must invest at least 6% of their annual budgets in Agriculture.

A World Bank Group report on Ghana’s agriculture warned of a near collapse of the sector.

The report disclosed that the share of Ghana’s agricultural sector towards the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which in 1991 was about 65 per cent, had reduced by almost 50 per cent to 23 percent in 2012.

“By 2011, agriculture was the smallest sector in the economy, in terms of value added, although it is still the main sector of employment, representing 43.2 per cent of total employment,” the World Bank noted.

Agriculture, the report maintained remains a strong option for spurring growth, overcoming poverty and enhancing food security.

“Agricultural productivity growth is vital for stimulating growth in other parts of the economy but accelerated growth requires a sharp productivity increase in small holder farming combined with more effective support to the millions coping as subsistence farmers,” the report recommended.

Commenting on the issue, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dalex Finance and Leasing Company, Mr Kenneth Kwamina Thompson expressed alarm over the decline in the agricultural sector’s output.

He said it is not conceivable that Ghana can become a major exporter of manufactured goods in the short-to-medium term.

“Ghana will develop if it focuses on things that the country has comparative advantage in, and top on that list is agriculture, “he emphasized.

“We could even include services like tourism, which is the only way through which we could generate foreign exchange for ourselves and future generations”.

According to him, government must channel the nation’s resources into developing the agricultural sector for the benefit of the larger economy, adding that “urgent steps must be taken not only to modernize the agricultural sector but to also add value for export.”

Deputy Director for USAID Economic Growth Office, Brian Conklin has also recently stressed the importance of agriculture in alleviating poverty in Ghana.

“We believe that agriculture remains the best means of alleviating poverty and hunger in Ghana. Through President Obama’s initiative on global hunger and food security called Feed the Future, we work to make farming in Ghana more productive and profitable,” he added.

Economist, Dr Eric Osei Assibey says the much touted agriculture modernization must lead to a significant increase in the scale of production and productivity; it must enhance food security, create employment opportunities, and cut down on the use of foreign exchange for food imports.

The lack of critical inputs, feed, storage facilities, chemicals and credit which have been identified as the major factors contributing to the inadequate local production of fish, chicken and rice imports must be speedily addressed, Dr Assibey stated.

"Our poultry farmers must be assisted to acquire equipment, chicken feed, chemicals, and other inputs to enable them undertake large scale chicken production,” he added.