Agric Committee in Parliament calls on Finance Minister to fund timely completion of Farmers Service Centres

The Parliamentary Committee on Food, Agriculture, and Cocoa Affairs has called on the Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, to allocate funds for the timely completion of government flagship farmer service centers.

Under the project commissioned by President Mahama in March 2026, the government plans to construct about 275 Farmers Service Centres across the country within six months to provide smallholder farmers with access to farming inputs and equipment.

Chairman of the Committee, Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw, made the call on October 1 when the Committee visited the project sites to assess progress and the work being undertaken.

Dr Jasaw said the Committee had seen progress on the ground and recognised the potential impact of the centres on agricultural development but stressed that the project could suffer further delays if contractors were not paid on time.

“Whatever it takes for the Minister of Finance to ensure that sustained financing is ring-fenced for the contractors on this project so that we don’t have further delays in the delivery of this project has not been honoured,” he said.

He therefore urged the Finance Minister to take the necessary steps to ensure that funding for the project was secured and contractors were able to continue work without disruption.

“And so respectfully, I want to urge the minister responsible for finance that your committee has come to the field, we have seen the work going on, we appreciate the input that delivering these centres will have on agricultural transformation, and we want to respectfully urge you to do whatever it takes to make sure financing is secure for them,” Dr Jasaw said.

He said the committee had been informed that a number of initiatives were being considered to support the project and expressed the hope that the necessary financing would be secured to prevent further delays.

The Committee’s intervention highlights the importance of timely financing to the delivery of the Farmers Service Centres, particularly as the project is intended to provide smallholder farmers with easier access to inputs and equipment.

Dr Jasaw said the Committee would continue to engage with the relevant stakeholders and monitor progress on the project to ensure that the centres are delivered as intended.