Farming communities turn down alien seeds under ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’

The Ministry for Food and Agriculture has debunked reports on some media platforms suggesting that some farming communities have rejected some alien seeds under the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ policy.

The Ministry in a rejoinder said “The news article cited the Assin South District Agricultural Officer, Mr. Jacob Sackey as having complained about a maize variety supplied by the Ministry to farmers in the district under the Planting for Food and Jobs, as being poor in quality and unable to withstand pests and other weather conditions”.

It stated that “The Ministry wishes to state emphatically that per the records available, MOFA never supplied the maize variety used by farmers in the said district”.

The Ministry indicated that “Our investigations revealed that at the time farmers were planting their seeds, MOFA supplies had not reached them so they took the initiative to procure their own seeds which later turned out to be of poor quality”.

The Ministry reassured farmers of government’s commitment towards enhancing their socio-economic livelihoods through pragmatic policies and programmes.

Read Rejoinder here.

RE: Farming communities turn down alien seeds under Planting for Food and Jobs”

The attention of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has been drawn to a publication on some news portal under the above headline and wish to state categorically that the story is false and misleading.

The news article cited the Assin South District Agricultural Officer, Mr. Jacob Sackey as having complained about a maize variety supplied by the Ministry to farmers in the district under the Planting for Food and Jobs, as being poor in quality and unable to withstand pests and other weather conditions.

The Ministry wishes to state emphatically that per the records available, MOFA never supplied the maize variety used by farmers in the said district.

Our investigations revealed that at the time farmers were planting their seeds, MOFA supplies had not reached them so they took the initiative to procure their own seeds which later turned out to be of poor quality.

Apart from this, the District Agricultural Director has emphatically denied ever granting interview to Joy FM and stating that farmers were not happy with the variety supplied by MOFA.

In any case, the Ministry never supplied that so called ‘alien’ seeds which later turned out to be of poor quality.

It must be emphasized that the Ministry went through rigorous technical processes before approving seeds for distribution to farmers under the Planting for Food and Jobs Programme.

It is therefore refreshing to note that all farmers who were supplied with the certified improved seeds delivered under the hand of the Technical Committee at MOFA are so much satisfied with the varieties as evidenced in reports received by the Ministry across the length and breadth of the country.

The Ministry wishes therefore to reassure farmers of government’s commitment towards enhancing their socio-economic livelihoods through pragmatic policies and programmes

Signed by

Issah Alhassan

Press Secretary to the Minister