FACT-CHECK: Did Ghana record -2.7% agriculture growth rate under John Mahama?

Claim: Ghana recorded -2.7% agriculture growth rate under John Mahama

Source: Social media post

Verdict: FALSE

Research by Gifty Tracy Aminu 

A social media user claims Ghana recorded –2.7% agriculture growth rate under John Mahama in a post on Facebook. 

“JDM once grew agriculture at -2.7%! What is he promising, boom in agriculture? We don’t forget so easily my man!” the post by Kwame Banyin Bansah read. It had garnered over 271 comments and 12 shares at the time GhanaFact was alerted to it.

But how true is the claim.

Fact-Check

To verify this claim, GhanaFact referred to data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS). According to available data on agricultural growth, the rates varied between 2012 and 2016, but there was no negative growth rate. 

The former President’s term was from January 7, 2013, to January 6, 2017, even though he was earlier sworn in on July 25, 2012, after the demise of the sitting President, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills. 

The GSS statistics show that in 2013 (Mahama’s first year), Ghana recorded an agriculture growth of 5.7%, 0.9% in 2014, 2.1% in 2015, and 2.7% in 2016. During his tenure as Vice President to the late Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, the agriculture sector grew by 7.2% in 2009, 5.3% in 2010, 0.8% in 2011 and 2.3% in 2012.

Publicly available data shows, the John Evan Atta Mills and John Dramani Mahama administrations had no negative agricultural sector growth rate between 2009 to 2016 – refer to World Bank.

Verdict

The claim is rated false.