The former General Secretary of the General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU), Edward Kareweh, has called on the Minister of Agriculture-designate, Eric Opoku to engage stakeholders, prioritize effective implementation of policies, and ensure accountability in government subsidies.
Speaking on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey, Mr. Kareweh emphasized the importance of addressing the diverse challenges within the agricultural sector.
“The agricultural sector is very diverse, and the needs of farmers vary significantly,” Kareweh stated. “The requirements of rice farmers, for instance, differ from those of maize farmers. The minister needs to first build consensus with stakeholders and listen to their concerns.”
While commending the new minister’s expertise, Kareweh warned against overconfidence, cautioning that assuming unilateral decisions could alienate stakeholders and hinder progress.
One key area Kareweh highlighted was the distribution of subsidies and fertilizers. He stressed the importance of ensuring that government support reaches the intended beneficiaries—farmers—and that they use the inputs effectively.
“Sometimes, farmers misuse the assistance, such as selling part of their fertilizers, which ultimately affects their output. We need to ensure proper monitoring to avoid such issues,” he said.
He also pointed out the challenges in implementing policies at the micro level, where success is often undermined. Mr. Kareweh urged the minister to learn from past programs like the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative, which he acknowledged as a good policy but lamented its limited impact.
“As a country, we’re good at creating broad policies, but the real challenge lies in implementation at the grassroots level. The new minister must ensure that we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past and truly fulfill the government’s agricultural policies,” Kareweh concluded.
