GAIDA wants Plants and Fertilizer Act enforced

Members of the Ghana Agri-Input Dealers Association (GAIDA) have called on the law enforcement agencies, taskforce agents in the national, regional and districts to ensure that Act 803, 2010 which deal with Ghana’s plants and fertilizer laws are enforced.

The association has also appealed to the Government to equip Fertilizer research organizations to enable them continue their oversight role on both standards and quality of fertilizers.

This will help organizations carry out continuous research on the standards of fertilizers that come into the country.

The Northern regional secretary of GAIDA, Mohammed Mahamud stated this in a press statement advocate for effective coordination of duty bearers in the country.

Below is the press statement issued

ORGANIZATION: GHANA AGRI-INPUT DEALERS ASSOCIATION (GAIDA)

TITLE OF ADVOCACY: ADVOCACY FOR THE EFFECTIVE CORDINATION OF EFFORTS OF DUTY BEARER INSTITUTIONS (POLICE,PPRSD,EPA AND CEPS) THROUGH THE ESTABLISHEMENT OF NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND DISTRICT TASKFFORCE FOR THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE PLANT AND FERTILIZER ACT, 2010, ACT 803

The Ghana Agri-Input Dealers Association (GAIDA) is a national body of agricultural input dealers in Ghana.  It is was officially launched in September 2004. The vision of GAIDA is to achieve excellence in the provision of agricultural inputs and maximizing food productivity for a healthy nation.

Our objectives include bringing all agri-input dealers in Ghana together under the association to provide a forum to acquire and disseminate  information on the safe and effective use of agri-inputs and also, to collaborate with governmental, Non-Governmental, Sub-regional, and international bodies to create the atmosphere for the realization of our objectives.

The infiltration of illegal and adulterated agro chemicals and fertilizers in the markets are increasingly becoming alarming and this poses huge threats to the businesses and incomes of member of Ghana Agri-Input Dealers (GAIDA). It is also a major problem on farmers’ health, environmental sustainability and national food security. Institutions such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Plant Protection and Regulatory Service Division (PPRSD) have been tasked by law to check the proliferation of these fake and adulterated agrochemicals alongside other organizations such as the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA). There is generally a lack of coordination of effort among duty bearer institutions and these have serious implications for the Ghana Agri-Inputs Dealers Association (GAIDA). The efforts by government to check these anomalies are stipulated in the Plant and Fertilizer Act 2010, Act 803 that regulates the industry.

For this reason, GAIDA-N/R is undertaking an advocacy action for ‘’ For the effective coordination of efforts of duty bearer institutions (Police, PPRSD, EPA and CEPS) through the establishment of National, Regional and district level taskforce for the enforcement of the plant and fertilizer Act, 2010, Act 803 to eradicate the influx of fake agro chemicals and fertilizer products in the markets and to safeguard the businesses and incomes of our members and the produce of farmers. The advocacy action is sponsored by the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge Fund (BUSAC Fund), and their partners, DANIDA and USAID.

GAIDA is also appealing to Government to equip Fertilizer research organizations to enable them continue their oversight role on both standards and quality of fertilizers. This could be in a form of infrastructure and the expertise to help these organizations continue to carry out continuous research on the standards of fertilizers that come into the country.

Signed:

Mohammed Mahamud

Northern Regional Secretary

GAIDA