The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has disclosed that nearly all the vehicles procured for District Agricultural Extension Officers under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration’s Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme were auctioned before the end of 2024, a situation he says has severely affected agricultural extension services across the country.

Appearing before Parliament’s Assurance Committee, the minister expressed concern over what he described as a major setback to the ministry’s efforts to provide technical support to farmers nationwide.

According to Opoku, the disposal of the vehicles has left many district extension officers without reliable means of transportation, making it difficult for them to visit farming communities, monitor agricultural activities, and provide the technical guidance farmers require to improve productivity and that is the reason the ministry has decided to procure motor bikes to the extension officers.

He explained that agricultural extension officers play a critical role in Ghana’s food production system by educating farmers on modern farming practices, pest and disease control, climate-smart agriculture, and the efficient use of inputs. Without adequate transport, he noted, many officers are unable to reach remote farming communities, potentially affecting the implementation of key government agricultural programmes.

The minister told the committee that the ministry has assessed the extent of the logistical challenges and exploring measures to restore mobility by procuring motor bilked to extension officers to ensure effective service delivery 

Opoku stressed that strengthening extension services remains essential to the government’s broader agenda of boosting food production, improving food security, and reducing the country’s reliance on food imports.

His remarks have sparked fresh discussions about the management of assets acquired under the Planting for Food and Jobs programme, with stakeholders expected to seek further clarification on the circumstances surrounding the auctioning of the vehicles and its impact on the agriculture sector.

The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to equipping agricultural officers with the logistics they need to effectively support farmers and drive increased agricultural productivity across the country.