Review coupon system-Labik

Page 47, July 21, 2008
Story: Emmanuel Adu-Gyamerah
THE Member of Parliament for Bunkprugu Yunyoo, Mr Joseph Labik, has called for a review of the current arrangement, whereby farmers use coupons to purchase fertiliser at a subsidised price.
He stated that although the policy was laudable and would enable farmers to improve on their yield and increase their incomes, the cumbersome nature of obtaining coupons, especially in the three northern regions, was eroding the gains that the system sought to bring to farmers.
Mr Labik told newsmen that due to the large coverage for the few extension officers in the three northern regions, farmers had to spend more than two days chasing them for the coupons.
Mr Labik explained that even when the farmers managed to get to the extension officers, they were told that the coupons were finished.
He added that the situation now was reducing productivity contrary to the government’s intention of assisting the farmers to increase productivity.
Mr Labik explained that under the policy the government had subsidised 600,000 bags of fertilisers for farmers throughout the country out of which 198,000 bags had been allocated to the three northern regions.
He said that the allocations of fertiliser and coupons to the three northern regions were inadequate and asked that they should be increased.
Mr Labik advised that if the coupon system would not work to perfection, then a new method should be adopted to enable farmers to get the fertiliser from the open market.
He stated that the situation had made fertiliser an essential commodity, forcing farmers to do a wild goose chase for the commodity everyday instead of working on their farms.