Delays in supply of seeds affect planting for food and jobs programme - MOFA

Mr Francis Ennor, the Sunyani Municipal Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, says delays in the supply of seeds and fertilizers to farmers is affecting the implementation of the government's "Planting for Food and Jobs" programme in the Municipality.

He said because of the delayed, only 90 farmers out of the 1,000 registered farmers enrolled on the programme had taken delivery of the seeds and fertilizers provided by the government.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Sunyani, Mr Ennor noted that many of the farmers had earlier gone into sowing in the major crop season because the supply was delayed.

He explained that quantities of vegetables and maize seeds and 6,430 bags of fertilizes were piled up at the office for distribution.

Mr Ennor advised the beneficiary farmers to come for the supply so that they could plant in the minor crop season.

He said under the programme the government had taken 50 percent of the cost of inputs and the registered farmers would pay 25 percent and offset the remaining 25 percent after they sell their produce.

Mr Ennor however added that only farmers who could pay for the outstanding debt would be enrolled in the next crop season.

He emphasised that the seeds being supplied to the farmers were not Genetic Modified Organic (GMO) seeds as being speculated.

Mr Ennor added that the seeds were locally produced and provided by the Seed Growers Association of Ghana.