Women farmers urge government to boost agricultural productivity through financial support

Women farmers in Tema have appealed to the government to provide targeted financial support through the proposed Women’s Development Bank (WDB) to enhance agricultural productivity and strengthen national food security. 

Madam Serlom Asamoah, a farmer in Tema, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that women engaged in agriculture required equal access to financial resources, to enable them to increase farm yields and contribute meaningfully to economic growth. 

She expressed concern that many women farmers faced persistent barriers in accessing formal finance due to limited collateral, particularly land ownership, and entrenched social norms that disadvantaged women in the agricultural sector. 

Madam Asamoah said access to affordable loans with low interest rates would allow women farmers to purchase quality inputs and farm equipment and hire labour, thereby improving productivity and income generation. 

“Without affordable financing, it becomes difficult for women farmers to expand their operations or adopt improved farming methods,” she noted. 

Madam Ama Opoku, another farmer at Tema, said high interest rates charged by informal money lenders continued to reduce farm output and household income, negatively affecting the welfare of women and their families. 

She said the establishment of the Women’s Development Bank would provide women farmers with affordable credit, enabling them to increase income levels and invest more in household nutrition, healthcare, and the education of their children. 

Madam Opoku further noted that access to finance would help women adopt labour-saving technologies and efficient processing equipment, reducing post-harvest losses, saving time and fuel, and improving overall farm efficiency. 

She appealed to policymakers to prioritise women-led agriculture, stressing that empowering women farmers would have a direct and positive impact on food security and rural livelihoods. 

Source: GNA