A former Deputy Minister and Agribusiness Consultant, Abraham Dwuma Odoom, has advised the government to treat agriculture as a business.
Speaking in an interview on JoyNews, Newsfile on Saturday, the former Member of Parliament for Twifo Atti Morkwa Constituency, said that agriculture should not be treated merely as a development issue.
“We have to look at agriculture as a business, it should not be anything like development item where we do politics with it,” he said.
The former Deputy Minister of Local Government suggested that the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC) should be in charge of the country’s agriculture to provide a fixed plan on how to manage it regardless of the government in power.
“I will wish we situated agriculture in NDPC where NDPC will have a plan for our agriculture. Where they would give political parties that will come 4 years and 8 years what must be done,” he said.
“For instance, if we don’t want to import rice, we don’t want to import anything, the NDPC will champion it through our political parties,” he added.
He further stated that Ghana will be able to stop importation of many items if the government is able to take that decision.
“It is sad for the country to import everything, including toothpicks and poultry which can be produced in the country,” Mr. Odoom bemoaned.