Over GHC100 million spent on Planting for Food and Jobs - Agric Minister

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture spent over One Hundred and fifty-seven Million Ghana Cedis on the "Planting for food and job creation campaign for the major season for the southern sector as well as the three northern regions.

This was contained in an answer to Parliament submitted by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Akoto Afriyie, in response to a question asked by MP for Asunafo North, Eric Opoku. The question sought to find out the expenditure, participation and status of the Planting for food and job creation.

According to the Sector Minister, "so far, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has spent One Hundred and Fifty Seven Million. Twenty Three Thousand, One Hundred and Seventy Four Ghana Cedis (GHC 157,023,174.00) on the campaign for the major season in the Southern Sector and the three Northern Regions".

According to the Sector Minister, the planting for food and job campaign was open to any farmer interested in cultivating any of the targeted crops.

The campaign has five main pillars of interventions, namely the provision of seeds, fertilizer and extension Service as well as Marketing and E-Agriculture Platform.

He noted that, under the campaign, selected farmers were supported with farm inputs such as improved seeds of the targeted crops, fertilizers and extension services directly from the Ministry. The other pillars are to be implemented with the private sector partners.

Dr. Afriyie stated that "for the 2017 cropping season, the campaign, targeted to register about 200,000 farmers nationwide."

Under the campaign, interested farmers were to register at the office of the District Department of Agriculture where their farms are located.

Out of the total number of 188,338 registered, 34,000 have been captured electronically by ESOKO".