Dr Jasaw calls for national agriculture development fund to strengthen climate resilience

The Wa East MP and Chairman of Parliament’s Food and Agriculture Committee, Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw has called for the establishment of a National Agriculture Development Fund to strengthen agricultural financing, improve climate resilience and ensure that resources reach farmers and communities exposed to climate-related risks.

He said Parliament must play a central role in shaping the institutions through which agricultural financing reaches the economy, stressing the importance of sustainable funding arrangements that support national development priorities.

Dr Jasaw made the remarks during discussions at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok, highlighting the role of parliamentary oversight in ensuring that financing commitments translate into practical investments.

“I have called for a National Agriculture Development Fund because Parliament must help shape the institutions through which finance reaches the economy,” he said.

He noted that the proposed fund could provide a framework for directing resources towards agricultural development while ensuring that Ghana retained control over its investment priorities.

Dr Jasaw identified the CVF-V20 as a potential partner in exploring financing options for the fund, emphasising the need to protect national ownership while expanding access to resources.

“The CVF-V20 could help Ghana examine financing options for such a fund while retaining national control,” he said.

He added that the financing arrangements must ensure that smallholder farmers, women and young people were not excluded from the opportunities created by agricultural investments.

“Parliament can provide its legal mandate and ensure that smallholders, women and young people are not crowded out,” he said.

Dr Jasaw further stressed that strengthening agricultural financing must go hand in hand with investment in essential infrastructure, including irrigation, feeder roads, storage facilities and local processing capacity.

Using examples from Wa East, he explained that irrigation infrastructure alone might not deliver the desired benefits if farmers lacked roads to transport their produce to markets. Similarly, protecting shea trees without developing local processing facilities could leave women undertaking much of the work while the greater economic value was generated elsewhere.

“In Wa East, irrigation without a feeder road can still leave a farmer unable to reach the market. A protected shea tree without local processing can leave women doing the hardest work while value is created elsewhere,” he said.

He emphasised the need to integrate water, roads, storage, processing, skills and markets to ensure that investments in agriculture deliver meaningful economic benefits to farming communities.

The lawmaker also highlighted the importance of preparing for climate-related shocks, particularly drought, which could reduce agricultural production, increase food imports and put pressure on foreign exchange reserves.

He called for the relevant finance and agriculture authorities to conduct pre-season stress tests to determine the measures required if agricultural production fell sharply.

“Parliament should require the finance and agriculture authorities to conduct a pre-season stress test: if production falls sharply, which inputs and services must continue, who will act and which decisions must already be authorised?” he said.

Dr Jasaw said such preparations would help establish clear responsibilities and ensure that essential agricultural inputs and services remained available when climate-related disruptions occurred.

He also called on the CVF-V20 to engage parliamentary committees while financing proposals were still being developed, provide options for specific national investments and facilitate the sharing of experiences among climate-vulnerable countries.

He said Parliament could support implementation through legislation, budgetary oversight, local evidence and political continuity, helping to identify barriers before they caused delays.

Dr Jasaw maintained that agricultural financing should ultimately be assessed by its practical impact on farmers, particularly whether funding arrived within critical planting seasons, infrastructure remained functional after construction and resilience measures generated income for communities facing climate risks.

“For my constituents, the test is straightforward. Does finance arrive within the season? Does the investment function after it is built? Does resilience create income where climate risk is being carried?” he asked.

He said strengthening agricultural financing institutions and ensuring that investments responded to local needs would be essential to building climate resilience and improving livelihoods across Ghana’s farming communities.