The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, is hinting at an increase in fertiliser prices.
According to him, the world fertiliser market is in turmoil because of the severe shortage of gas which is the basic input for fertiliser manufacturing.
Dr Akoto, who disclosed this on Adom FM’s morning show, Dwaso Nsem Thursday, revealed that major European companies and the United Kingdom are folding up due to the price build up.
“Urea fertiliser, which a year ago was $310 per metric tonne, is now to $980 dollars on the world market in one year and it will still go up,” he stated.
His comment is in reaction to an increase in fertiliser prices making it difficult for farmers to buy. Earlier this year, there was a shortage under government’s flagship Planting for Food and Job Programme – a situation which created panic in the sector.
But the Agric Minister emphasised that there is a general shortage of fertiliser in the world and therefore the increasing exorbitant market prices of the commodity.
“We don’t produce fertiliser in Ghana; we import all our fertiliser so we have no control over it,” he said.
The Agric Minister attributed the current phenomenon to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic global.
But Dr Akoto said plans are far advanced for Ghana to get its own fertiliser plant.