500,000 farmers to benefit from 15,000 metric tonnes of seed for Planting for Food and Jobs

The government is to make available 15,000 metric tonnes of improved seeds for distribution to 500,000 farmers under the Planting for Food and Jobs Programme (PFJ) this year.

The seeds include rice, maize, sorghum, soya beans, groundnuts, pepper and tomatoes.

Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Minister of Agriculture disclosed this when he launched the crop season for this year at the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons (NMSP), in the Eastern Region yesterday.

He said the distribution of the seeds which had currently started in the southern part of the country, would be extended to the three regions of the north namely Northern, East and West regions by June this year.

Dr Akoto said in order to extend the boundaries and participation in the PFJ programme, the Ministry was expanding its support to second cycle institutions, universities, churches and traditional rulers.

On the threat of armyworm outbreak he said the Ministry was prepared to combat further threats adding that, it had adequate stocks of chemicals in the regions and procuring more in readiness to counter any incidence.

Dr Akoto appealed to the public, especially farmers, to report immediately to their extension officers and district authorities when they detect the outbreak.

“Currently with the support of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) some field staff and farmers are being trained while districts are being encouraged to form “noboa” groups,” he added.

He assured of government’s continuous support to assist farmers in ensuring that more farm produce were cultivated in the country.

The Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Patrick Darko Missah said the service achieved 1,379 acreage production of various crops such as cocoa, maize, vegetables among others, nationwide and stated that this year the target was 1,545 acreages.

Mr Missah commended the Government for the assistance over the years such as the supply of tractors and spraying of crops that were infested with worms.

The Regional Commander of the NMSP, Deputy Director of Prisons (DDP), Isaac Egyir, said before the Planting for Food and Jobs, their outfit cultivated between 20 and 25 acres.