President Nana Akufo-Addo and Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Bryan Acheampong are set to launch the second phase of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) module in Tamale on Monday.
The PFJ programme aims to promote food security, provide jobs, and improve the availability of selected food crops in the market.
The first module, launched in 2017, focused on promoting food security and immediate availability of crops.
The second phase of PFJ, with a five-year plan, will prioritize large-scale farming on a minimum of 5 acres.
This approach aims to achieve the programme’s objective of food security.
The Minister, Dr Acheampong has emphasized the need for designated commercial farming areas and encouraged individuals to seek a minimum of 5 acres of land.
In this new programme, farmers with a minimum of 5 acres will receive direct support, including fertilizers, improved seeds, and mechanization services.
The second phase of the programme will introduce interventions such as mechanization and technical support, insurance packages, and a ready market for farmers.
The Ghana Commodities Exchange company will purchase ten crops and poultry products, providing a guaranteed market for farmers.
This new system aims to stimulate large-scale commercial farming and revive the poultry industry. Under the new input credit system, public sensitization will be an important aspect.
Dr. Acheampong in a recent interview highlighted the need to make farming attractive to the youth, adding that the ministry plans to focus on smart agriculture, providing machinery and expanding irrigation facilities.
The Planting for Food and Jobs campaign is a flagship agricultural campaign of the Ghanaian government, consisting of five modules.
In Ghana, the food crops subsector is dominated by smallholder farmers who face challenges such as inadequate use of productivity-enhancing technologies, low use of quality seeds and fertilizers, and weak market linkages.
In response, the government initiated the PFJ campaign in 2017. The campaign aims to motivate farmers to adopt certified seeds and fertilizers, empower beneficiaries with knowledge and skills, improve marketability, and utilize information and communication technologies for efficient targeting.
The campaign also aims to increase job opportunities, stimulate enterprises along the supply chains, overcome food deficits, reduce importation of basic food commodities, and increase exports.
The goal is to modernize the agriculture sector, improve food security, create employment opportunities, and reduce poverty.
Objectives include ensuring the availability of selected food commodities, providing job opportunities for unemployed youth, creating awareness among formal workers and public institutions, and serving as a substitute for food imports.
The launch of the second phase of the Planting for Food and Jobs module in Ghana demonstrates the government’s commitment to modernizing the agriculture sector and addressing challenges faced by smallholder farmers.
The program’s focus on large-scale farming, interventions such as mechanization and insurance, and the emphasis on making agriculture attractive to the youth are steps towards achieving food security, creating employment opportunities, and reducing poverty.
