Ghana secures C$125m to finance agriculture – Akufo-Addo
The Ghana government has secured Canadian $125 million to support the “Planting for food and jobs” campaign to popularize farming and encourage many people to take agriculture as a full or a part time activity.
Delivering his first State of the Nation Address in Parliament today, February 21, 2017, President Nana Akufo-Addo said the state of agriculture in the country currently is not in good shape which has culminated into high food prices and the importation of almost every agricultural produce from neighbouring countries.
He said agriculture provides the best opportunity to use modern methods to change the lives of many, within the shortest possible time and that his administration would work hard to reverse the trend.
He also said, “we have to irrigate our lands and equip farmers with the skills needed to make farming a well-paying business.”
“This Campaign will be anchored on the pillars that will transform agriculture: the provision of improved seeds, the supply of fertilizers, the provision of dedicated extension services, a marketing strategy and the use of e-Agriculture,” he added.
To initiate the Campaign, the District Assemblies will be tasked to identify and register progressive farmers in each of the 216 districts, he further said.
“Mr Speaker, for too long our farmers have been left to cope by themselves, without the necessary support from government. For too long, our farmers have been left to the mercy of the vagaries of the weather.
“We have decided to embark upon a programme to provide water to enable all-year farming. We are calling it the one-village, one-dam policy. It is a programme that I expect will rapidly get the support of the population, and should help to transform food insecurity in our country,” the President pointed out.
Additionally, the three regions of the north, in particular, will benefit from the availability of water to enable all-year farming, so that the enforced yearly migration can be minimized and food production become more predictable.
Nana Akufo-Addo said, “I look forward to an increase in public investment in agriculture, starting from the first budget of my government. We must reverse the unfortunate trend of the past eight years, which saw a regular decrease in public investment in the sector that provides a living for the majority of our people.”
“Mr Speaker, food processing has been the first step towards industrialization in virtually every country, and it is time for us to take it seriously. Not only will it serve to cut down on the wastage of crops during the high season, it will provide more jobs and expand farming business,” he said.
By Pamela Ofori-Boateng