'Go as servants, not bosses' - Agric Minister charges 506 Feed Ghana Brigadiers

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has officially commissioned 506 Feed Ghana Brigadiers following two weeks of intensive training at the Ghana Police Training School in Tesano, Accra.

This marks what the government described as the birth of a new national force for agricultural transformation.

The passing-out ceremony, held on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, was addressed by Food and Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku, who said the Brigadiers were not trained at the police school to learn basic agriculture but to build the discipline, resilience and field-readiness required to drive the Feed Ghana Programme at the district level.

"They already possess the technical knowledge required to support agricultural development. The purpose of bringing them to the Ghana Police Training School was to build discipline, sharpen their sense of duty, strengthen teamwork, develop resilience, instil respect for authority, and prepare them for field service under pressure," he said.

The Minister stressed that the qualities instilled at the police school were directly relevant to agricultural work.

"Discipline is not only for the parade ground. Discipline is for the farm. Discipline is for public service. Discipline is for national development," he said.

As District Feed Ghana Coordinators, the Brigadiers will serve as the link between national agricultural policy and district-level implementation, working directly with farmers, mobilising stakeholders, monitoring progress and ensuring accountability.

Mr Opoku further stated that the Brigadiers were not being deployed to create a parallel agricultural system, instructing them to work under the authority of District Directors of Agriculture and in collaboration with existing extension officers.

"Do not go to the districts as bosses. Go as servants of the people. Go to strengthen the existing system, not to replace it," he said.

In a notable development, the Minister announced that even before the passing-out ceremony, two private agribusiness companies had already submitted requests for the services of the Brigadiers, one requesting 20 and another requesting two, signalling early private sector confidence in the initiative.

He also announced that the Brigadiers would serve as Master Gardeners, providing agricultural advisory services to households, schools, public institutions and faith-based organisations beyond their core Feed Ghana duties.

Mr Opoku assured agricultural graduates that the current cohort was only the first phase of the Feed Ghana Brigade Initiative, with plans to recruit and train additional graduates from Colleges of Agriculture and other tertiary institutions as the programme expands.

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