The President of the Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association of Ghana (VEPEAG), Felix Mawuli Kamassah, has expressed optimism about the 2026 national budget, highlighting its potential to reduce food prices, improve farm-to-market logistics, and enhance agricultural productivity.

Speaking on the budget presentation, Kamassah welcomed the government’s focus on improving farm roads in underserved areas. He noted that better connectivity between villages and main markets could significantly reduce transportation costs.

“When products are moved from remote villages to roadside collection points, costs build up, and farmers often pass these costs on to consumers. Investment in farm roads will allow transporters to access farms more efficiently, ultimately lowering food prices,” he explained.

Kamassah also praised the budget’s support for mechanisation, which proposes providing machinery services to farmers. VEPEAG believes this initiative could enhance efficiency and reduce dependence on manual labour.

“Mechanisation services are critical. If implemented early and completed on time, farmers can prepare land faster, improve yields, and lower production costs,” he said.

The VEPEAG president further emphasized the importance of irrigation initiatives, particularly given changing climate patterns that make rain-fed agriculture increasingly unreliable. He called for the rehabilitation of existing irrigation sites under the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) to boost production and stabilize commodity prices.

“Proper irrigation can increase output and enable farmers to deliver products to the market at lower prices,” he added.

VEPEAG believes that the combination of improved farm roads, mechanisation support, and enhanced irrigation infrastructure, as outlined in the 2026 budget, could strengthen the private sector’s role in agriculture, streamline supply chains, and make food more affordable for Ghanaian consumers.