Page 57 - AFAP Success Stories 2020

government of Ghana has imposed a number of
measures, which include but are not limited to: banning
all social gatherings; the closure of schools, colleges
and universities; and the imposition of restrictions on
peoples’ movements in a partial lockdown. Although
necessary, should these impositions continue, they will
adversely affect major sectors of the economy, especially
the agricultural and agribusiness sector. Disruptions in
transportation will occur, the supply chain in agriculture
will be hampered and the demand for agricultural and
agribusiness activities lowered. These disruptions will
slow down growth in agriculture and agribusiness in the
country. Also, should there be a total lockdown of the
country, these disruptions are likely to limit farmers’ access
to inputs, such as seeds, fertilizers and insecticides, and
also restrict access to markets. In addition, uncertainty
and fear could have a negative impact on planting
decisions, while as mentioned earlier, a reduction in the
volume of the main agricultural exports is also expected.
A general shortage in food supply is anticipated if the
pandemic intensifies and, in turn, this could lead to
inflation in food prices, especially grains (such as rice,
beans, millet, sorghum, etc.), poultry, vegetables and
other commodities.

Currently, in response to the lockdown, there has been
lots of panic buying among the Ghanaian people and
this act could perhaps be linked to the sudden increase
in food prices and hikes in food hoarding over the past
few weeks.

AFAP has had a positive impact on the lives of farmers
especially in the northern part of Ghana. Over the years,
AFAP has been involved in a number of activities in Ghana,
such as capacity building, market linkages, the provision
of technical support, engagement with both public-
and private agriculture entities and interaction with

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