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'Under performing' Agric Minister reassigned

The former Agric Minister has been reassigned to the Transport Ministry following the resignation of Dzifa Atsivor over the controversial GHc3.6 million bus re-branding saga.

 

The Northern Regional Minister, Alhaji Mohammed Muniru Limuna has been appointed as the Minister Designate for Agriculture to replace Fiifi Kwetey, a statement from the Flagstaff House said.

No explanation was provided for Fiifi Kwartey's reassignment but analysts in the Agric sector have consistently expressed worry over the consistent decline of the sector under him.

Real growth in agriculture tumbled from 7.4% in 2008 to 7.2% in 2009 through 5.3% in 2010; 0.8% in 2011; 2.3% in 2012; 5% in 2013; 4.6 in 2014 and now the rock-bottom figure of 0.04% in 2015.According to provisional data captured in 2016 budget released by the Ministry of Finance, the sector’s contribution to GDP in 2015 is estimated at 19%, as compared with the 21.5 percent it recorded in 2014.

The consistent decline is a cause for concern considering the agricultural sector employs 44.7% of Ghana population that are 15 years and older. Despite a 3.6% growth target for the sector in 2015, provisional data by the Ghana  Statistical Service (GSS) and also captured in the 2016 Budget statement shows the sector has only grown by 0.04%. In 2014, the agricultural sector grew by 4.6% according to revised data by the GSS despite a 5.2% target for the year.

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This comes after an impressive 5.2% growth in 2013 despite a target of 4.9% in that same year, in the previous year the sector grew by 1.3% in 2012 against a 4.8% target.

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