Gov't gives $50 million for 'Planting for Food & Jobs' project - MoFA

Government has set aside an amount of $50 million to buy farm produce into the country’s buffer stock for the 2017 crop season, Press Secretary to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Ridwan Issah-Kkalifah has revealed.

Speaking in an interview with Frontline host Kwame Tutu on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm, he said, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPPs) government is recruiting 100 farmers from all the 216 districts for the piloting of the ‘Agric for Food and Jobs Program’ in 2017 crop season.

The Minister-designate for Agriculture, Dr. Afriyie Akoto has held a meeting with all the regional directors of agric and has tasked them to within a week, register the 100 farmers who have a minimum of 10 acres of land for the piloting.

The initiative he noted will create over 76,000 jobs this year. The number of farmers he added, would be increased to reach more farmers.

Issah-Khalifah stressed, the Minister-designate, has shown enough commitment in ensuring that agriculture is modernized so Ghana becomes the hub for food in West Africa.

Dr. Afriyie Akoto when he appeared before the vetting committee said government will collaborate with the private sector to help farmers to make Ghana the food hub of West Africa.

The operation would engage all Government officials, Members of Parliament, Chief Executives, and in all the 216 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies.

The programme will focus on some selected cash crops, the Press Secretary concluded.