BUSAC Funds Supports CropLife Ghana to Advocate on Establishing Agrochemical Levy

Image Credit: Ghana Agribusiness Centre (GAC)

Croplife Ghana has received grants from the BUSAC Fund to advocate for the establishment of a levy system through the review of the existing EPA Act, 1994 Act 940. The aim of the levy system is to among other things generate funds to fully enforce the EPA Act, support and organise training programs for regulatory and industry personnel and properly regulate the activities of players in the agrochemical and Crop Protection Products Industry.

With the advocacy action, CropLife Ghana is to collaborate with stakeholders such as Ghana Agri Input Dealers Association (GAIDA), other importing companies and manufacturers or producers of selected agri inputs specifically Crop Protection Products (CPPs).

Though the regulatory duties of the agrochemical industry are trusted in the hands of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) EPA 1994 (Act 940), supported by Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Department (PPRSD) of Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFAPesticides Control and Management Act, 1996 (Act 528) and Plant and Fertilizer Act 803, 2010, the institutions appear helpless in fully executing its mandate. This is largely attributed to inadequate supply of resources such as personnel, equipment and needed logistics to carry out their work. All these were attributed to insufficient financial allocation from the coffers of the consolidated fund where the regulators were largely funded from.

To this end, the fund is expected to be generated through the levying of Crop Protection Products and similar inputs into the country by placing an agreed margin on Free on Board (FoB) of the inputs. Funds generated from this levy are to be managed by independent body and used to support the activities of the regulating bodies. The success of a similar levy fund established in Kenya influenced this initiative from CropLife Ghana.

At the end of a successful advocacy, it is envisaged that the levy system will be established to assist both regulators and industry players to effectively enforce the pesticide law and also provide relevant stewardships to the advantage of the agrochemical industry.

The levy system is also expected to address the menace of copying and counterfeiting of agrochemical products, the introduction of sub-standard products into the market, high indiscipline of participants in the industry and low knowledge of dealers of these products among the lot which were found out during a research by Croplife Ghana to ascertain the true picture of the Agrochemical Industry.

According to Croplife Ghana, the levy system when established will to a large extent restore sanity to the agrochemical industry whiles promoting higher crop yields through sensitization programs for farmers on best agricultural practices.

About CropLife Ghana

Croplife Ghana is a national association of agrochemical importers and distributors in Ghana which is affiliated to CropLife Africa Middle East (CLAME) and part of the International Organisation CropLife International (CLI). It is a non-profit making organization with a current membership of eighteen (18) major agrochemical companies in Ghana and counting. CropLife Ghana controls about 90% of the fertilizer market as well as about 75% of the pesticide market in Ghana. It hopes to increase its membership and improve the business environment for members through the establishment of the levy system.

Email: Editor@agricinghana.com

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