I appreciate complexities in the agric sector and I will lead for a sustainable nation's food security - Dr. Bryan Acheampong

The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Bryan Acheampong has said having experienced the complexities of the agriculture sector with just seven months in office, he has embarked on a journey that will enable the sector to play the crucial role of providing food security and the economic development of the country.

He said he has been motivated to lead a process to develop a turnaround sector strategy to tackle the issues confronting the sector with targets for self-sufficiency and increased exports by 2028, utilizing digital technology for monitoring and reporting.

Addressing the regional farmers day celebration at Tarkwa in the Western Region, he said for instance, the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) Phase II programme is poised to be a groundbreaking intervention, particularly focusing on the youth, thereby marking a significant milestone in the nation's history.

According to him, the initiative serves as a driving force for generating lasting employment and fostering financial independence in a single impactful move and that each aspect of the programme proactively addresses the obstacles and hurdles that hinder the youth's preference to venture into agriculture as a viable business and means of livelihood.

“So in the year 2024, we are going to see a deliberate approach to agriculture which is going to attract more people into agriculture, we will get the processing going and will be able to feed our nation much better than we have,” Dr. Acheampong explained.

The agriculture minister said the Government is pushing a substantial investment into the sector to help boost domestic production, and reduce unnecessary imports while fostering food security in the country, making the country self-sufficient in agriculture.