Ejura farmers embrace 'Planting for Food and Jobs'

Farmers at Ejura-Sekyedumase Municipal in the Ashanti region have applauded the president of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo for introducing the planting for food and jobs program.

After an educational tour to the area by the Ashanti regional coordinator for the planting for food and jobs program, Mr Paul Amoah, most farmers expressed optimism about the program’s ability to create a bumper harvest this year.

In an interaction with the media, Mr Paul Amoah disclosed that the move is to encourage the youth as well to involve themselves in the project because government is supporting the famers by absorbing 50% of the cost of the seedlings and chemicals to help them get good and better yields.

Mr. Amoah however downplayed comments on radio and television by some Ghanaians that government is not prepared for the project because seedlings and fertilizers are not available to be given to the farmers.

“I am therefore using this medium to tell the general public that we have more seedlings, chemicals and equipment that can furnish farmers for the whole season and the next, so those who are interested in the project should go to their various district agric officers for their seedlings to start planting because the government is fully in support of the project and willing to create employment for the people of Ghana”, he reiterated.

Former member of parliament for the District, ?Alhaji Issifu Pangabu Mohammed who is a beneficiary of the project disclosed that the Agric ministry has contracted him to cultivate thousand six hundred hectares (1600) of maize as seedlings to feed the project in the next season.

He therefore cautioned Ghanaians to desist from politicising the project, adding that, ”it is a national project which will benefit the entire country and anything that will bring development to the country must be embraced.”