Deputy Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Patricia Appiagyei has disclosed that the production and export of cassava in Ghana would be strongly bolted when government’s flagship programmes, ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ and the ‘One District One Factory’ roll out.
According to her, there has been a steady growth in the demand for commercial and industrial use of cassava, therefore, the Akufo-Addo administration has been propelled to turn an eagle eye on the agricultural sector in an effort to boost agribusiness activities.
She said, “Government has plans of launching the ‘One District One Factory’ programme especially the special component of the development of cassava and adding value to cassava products. So this is what we are planning to do because we believe that if we are able to do that we will be able to increase on the number of industries that will benefit from the use of the processed cassava and we also believe that it is also going to generate income for the farmers at large, so we are expecting about $177 million more in addition to the revenues that we have already enjoyed.”
While addressing some stakeholders at the CAVA II Project annual review meeting Tuesday, January 23, the Deputy Minister noted that the programme would contribute significantly to increasing income and livelihoods for people in the rural and semi-rural areas as more than half a million of the Ghanaian population would be employed when the programme off-sets.
“The Planting for Food and Jobs programme is expected to increase the production of maize by 30 per cent; rice by 49 per cent; soybean by 25 per cent; sorghum by 28 per cent from the current production levels. This programme will create 750,000 jobs in both direct and indirect employment. This is to be supported by the provision of highly subsidized fertilizer and other inputs. Cassava is slated to be rolled up into the programme this year,” she reiterated.
She added, “The One District One Factory” programme is essentially a public-private partnership for ensuring the nationwide spread of industrialization in all 216 district of Ghana. The first stage of the programme is to see the commissioning of the 10 factories; and cassava processing factories are significantly represented in this initiative.”
Patricia Appiagyei however revealed that, “the programme has so far generated pledges to the tune of $3 billion from both and foreign investors.”
“Cassava: Adding Value for Africa, Phase II (C:AVA II) Project” is currently being implemented in Ghana by Food Research Institute since April 2014. The project is funded by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and is scheduled to end in March 2019.
The primary objective of the project is to increase the incomes of at least 200,000 cassava value chain actors, particularly smallholder farmers and processors in Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, and Malawi, by at least $177 million in 5 years.
