Ghana’s Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta has calculated that Planting for Food and Jobs initiative under the NPP government’s Flagship programme, has saved 1.9million Ghanaian farmers extra income.
He said during his presentation of the Mid-Year Budget Review, “Mr. Speaker, the Government’s Planting for Food and Jobs initiative has saved 1.9 million Ghanaian farmers in excess of GH¢1.8billion over the last three and half years through subsidized fertilizer and other inputs”.
According to him, this is now money in the pockets of these farmers. He also added that the increased usage of improved seeds and fertilizers by farmers has led to the improved productivity of selected food crops.
Also, a major outcome of the government’s intervention in the agricultural sector, he furthered, has been the dramatic improvements in food security leading to increased exports of food items to neighbouring countries from 85,000 MT to 133,145 MT between 2017 and 2019.
“Towards enhancing the export potential of the country, approximately 15 million seedlings of cashew, coffee, coconut, and oil palm have been distributed to farmers”, he said.
Ken Ofori-Atta noted that the Tree Crop Development Bill has already been passed by the government to properly regulate the development of these tree crops.
The Planting for Food and Jobs programme is a flagship agricultural Campaign of the New Patriotic Party Government, with five (5) implementation modules, namely, Food Crops (PFJ),Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD),Greenhouse Technology Villages (3 Villages),Rearing for Food and Jobs ( RFJ) and Agricultural Mechanization Services (AMSECs).
It is among the many flagship programmes that the NPP government has implemented over its three and half years of leadership, to front a broad-based economic and social transformation, and deliver these fundamental services to all Ghanaians.
By: Maureen Dedei Quaye
