Vice-president, in charge of research at IMANI Centre for Policy and Education, Bright Simons, has raised concerns regarding the disbursement of funds borrowed by the Ministry of Agriculture from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) aimed at supporting farmers across the country.Taking to the X platform, Mr Simons urged the Agriculture Ministry to provide clarity on whether the intended beneficiaries, the farmers, are indeed receiving the financial assistance allocated through the $46 million IFAD loan.

"Ghana has been borrowing millions of dollars from a UN agency called IFAD to help farmers. But is the money reaching farmers? The current & former Agric Ministers &...Fidelity Bank should kindly tell Ghanaians. #MercyForThePoor," he wrote.

The inquiry stems from a recent report that suggests that in April 2014, the government secured a $46 million loan from IFAD.

IFAD, a UN agency specializing in addressing agricultural challenges, channels its loans to support projects aimed at agro-processing, food security, enhanced smallholder farmer productivity, and similar objectives.Specifically in Ghana, this funding was allocated for the Ghana Agricultural Sector Investment Program (GASIP), a project valued at approximately $78 million and officially launched in May 2015.

GASIP's primary objective was to boost the productivity, output, and income of smallholder farmers by injecting funds into cooperatives through intermediaries known as "value chain cluster drivers (VCDs)."

These VCDs, acting as intermediaries, were tasked with accessing funds from GASIP, procuring bulk inputs such as seeds and fertilizer, ensuring their distribution to cooperative farmers, overseeing planting and harvesting activities, aggregating farm outputs, and collaborating with traders to secure favorable selling prices.GASIP also sought the involvement of corporate bulk buyers such as Nestle, the Ghana Commodities Exchange, providers of tractor and mechanized services, and various other stakeholders within Ghana's agricultural value chain.

By 2020, GASIP claimed to have facilitated the cultivation of nearly 100,000 acres of land and positively impacted the lives of 50,000 farmers.In a moment of enthusiasm, the Minister of Agriculture appealed to IFAD for further support, requesting an additional $105 million to demonstrate greater confidence in Ghana's agricultural initiatives.

Ghana has been borrowing millions of dollars from a UN agency called IFAD to help farmers. But is the money reaching farmers? The current & former Agric Ministers &...Fidelity Bank should kindly tell Ghanaians. 🙏🏽#MercyForThePoor

Bright Simons (@BBSimons) April 28, 2024