Lack of policy guideline threatens sustainability of PfFJs programme   

The absence of policy document to guide the implementation of the government’s flagship planting for Food and Jobs (PfFJs) threatens sustainability of the programme, a study has revealed.

According to the study conducted by the Global Hand on Natural Environmental Care (GHANECare), a Ghanaian non-governmental organisation, the programme is progressing steadily, and has improved on national food productivity, but the lack of a policy guideline to serve as a blue print in its implementation remains a huge challenge.

GHANECare with funding support from Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) fund and its partners is implementing a project titled “Advocacy for the Review of FASDEP II Policy Document for Economic Robustness in Ghana”.

The project advocates review of the Food and Agriculture Sector Development Policy II (FASDEP II) to improve implementation and ensure sustainability.

At a news conference to disseminate its findings held in Sunyani, Mr. Richard Kuunaah, the Executive Director of GHANECare, stressed the need for government to integrate the PfFJs into FASDEP, and develop policy document that would guide the implementation of the programmes to achieve desirable outcomes.

He said agriculture continued to play a huge role in the national economy, and regretted that fortunes in the sector, which remains major source of employment to the people are dwindling.

This, he added made the implementation of the PfFJs important, and advised Ghanaians to support the programme.

Mr. Kuunaah observed that successive governments have introduced and implemented several programmes to modernise the agricultural sector, but worried that because of the lack of a policy guideline, those programmes could not be sustained.

He said successful implementation and sustainability of the PfFJs has enormous benefits to the nation as it has particularly reduced or controlled Ghana’s food imports.

Source: GNA