Senyo Hosi, the former CEO of the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors, has called on Agriculture Minister Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto and the Ministry’s Chief Director to resign.
Mr. Hosi, who has investments in rice production, issued a statement criticizing the Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s approach to data and lack of consultation.
“Respectfully, the Minister’s and/or MOFA’s [Ministry of Food and Agriculture] armchair analysis of a culture of ‘knowing everything’ without adequate consultations and collaborations with industry will lead this country nowhere.”
“Your conduct and management of this matter is suboptimal and, respectfully, demonstrates your unfitness to lead in this sector’s policy space,” Mr. Hosi said.
“I respectfully request that the Minister and his Chief Director resign immediately in order to save this industry from total collapse,” he said in the statement.
Mr. Hosi also stated that he did not regard the minister as a trustworthy policy partner.
He was responding to the Ministry’s comments on his presentation at the 3Business Agribusiness dialogue.
Mr. Hosi stated that his submission was about the failure to structure the agricultural industry through policy to make it bankable and appealing for investment in the long run.
Many of the agricultural investors in attendance at the dialogue confirmed his experience, saying, “it is true.”
He mentioned, for example, that the ministry was not working with a large amount of data from farmers.
“Despite the challenges we face, MOFA has never assessed our production levels.” The same can be said for many other rice industry players. Mills’ installed mechanical capacity cannot be used as a proxy for actual production.”
“It is most unfortunate that, despite being led by a Ph.D. agri-economist, the MOFA’s analytical capacity is mediocre.”
“Despite the challenges we face, MOFA has never assessed our production levels.” The same can be said for many other rice industry players. Mills installed mechanical capacity cannot be used as a proxy for actual production.”
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“It is most unfortunate that, despite being led by a Ph.D. agri-economist, the MOFA’s analytical capacity is mediocre.”
These calls come amid Ghana’s economic crisis, which has resulted in sharp increases in agricultural production costs.
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