The General Agricultural Workers’ Union (GAWU) of TUC–Ghana has joined the celebration of the 2025 Farmers’ Day, with a strong call for the establishment of a dedicated Ghana Agricultural Service (GAS).
A statement issued by Mr. Andrews Addoquaye Tagoe, General Secretary, GAWU, said farmers’ day risked becoming just a ceremony unless it institutionalized support for agriculture in a very concrete, decisive and structural way.
This year’s celebration of the Farmers’ Day is under the theme, “Feed Ghana, Eat Ghana, Secure the Future.”
Mr. Tagoe said the establishment must be a permanent and professional service to drive policy formulation, extension, research, and implementation while consolidating the gains in agriculture as the pillar of national development.
“With the great initiative in creating the Ghana Health Service for public health and the Ghana Education Service for professional teaching, we must commit to creating a professional and dedicated structure for the agriculture sector,” he added.
The General Secretary said although farmers’ day was a moment to honour the sacrifices of Ghana’s agricultural workforce, the country’s progress remained hindered by weak institutional support.
He said despite the government’s recent initiatives such as the Presidential Initiative on Agriculture and Agribusiness (PIAA), farmers still faced challenges, including inadequate extension services, limited resources, and unstable policy continuity.
Mr. Tagoe called for the employment of agricultural graduates to address the alarming farmer-to-extension officer ratio of 1:1,500, far above the global standard of 1:500.
He urged the government to recapitalise COCOBOD, describing the cocoa sector as strategically important yet financially distressed.
He highlighted the need for stronger investment in agricultural research, especially in horticulture, calling for the revival of plans to establish a National Horticulture Research Institute to support emerging high-growth sectors.
The General Secretary reaffirmed GAWU’s commitment to advocating for farmers, farmworkers, and seafood workers, with a special tribute to women in agriculture whose contributions often go unrecognized.
GNA
