Economist Urges Mahama to Combat Food Inflation with Afram Plains Farms

Economist Prof. Patrick Asuming has called on the John Mahama administration to prioritise agriculture by developing large-scale commercial farms in the Afram Plains to address Ghana’s surging food inflation and stabilise prices.

His proposal comes after December’s inflation rate rose to 23.8%, with food inflation being the primary driver since 2022. “Since 2022, food inflation has been the biggest driver of inflation, and that is problematic,” Prof. Asuming stated.

Prof. Asuming emphasised that establishing commercial farms to cultivate basic staples like maize, yam, and cassava could provide an immediate solution to food inflation. He also urged the government to engage young people in these ventures to boost production.

“The immediate thing the government can do is to actually go and set up large-scale commercial farms in the Afram Plains area and get a lot of young people to go and help with the production of some of our basic staples immediately,” he said.

He criticised the previous administration’s agricultural interventions, suggesting they were insufficient in tackling the root causes of food inflation.

Ghana’s vast arable land offers an opportunity to enhance local food supply and stabilise prices. Prof. Asuming believes investing in large-scale farming could address both food availability and affordability.

However, he highlighted the importance of improving food distribution networks to achieve price stability. Poor road infrastructure and high transport costs hinder efficient food transportation from production areas to markets.

“For instance, you can have places in the northern parts of Ghana with an abundance of yam, yet yam prices are extremely high down south because of the transport costs,” he explained.

Prof. Asuming’s recommendations underscore the need for a robust agricultural policy that prioritises local production and addresses logistical challenges. By focusing on agriculture as a strategic solution, the Mahama government could effectively curb inflation and ensure food security for Ghanaians.