The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has so far spent an amount of GH₵157,023,174.00 on the government flagship program, ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ campaign, the sector Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto has revealed.
The amount, he said, was spent on the campaign for the major season in the Southern Sector and the three northern regions.
Inputs distribution for the minor cropping season in the Southern Sector, he adds, is on-going.
Out of the amount, GH₵24,963,981.00 was spent on seeds whilst GH₵132,059,193.00 was spent on fertilizer and haulage.
Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto made this observation when he appeared on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, July 27, 2017, to answer a question which stood in the name of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Asunafo North, Eric Opoku.
Hon. Opoku had asked the Agric Minister “what is the expenditure, participation and status of the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs Program’.
The ‘Planting for Food and Jobs Program’ was unveiled by Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto on January 9, 2017, at the New Year School of the University of Ghana.
It was officially launched by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at Goaso in the Brong Ahafo Region on April 19, 2017.
The primary objective of the project is to transform the agriculture sector by increasing the productivity of farm resources centered on small holding activities.
It is also to provide job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youth and to provide raw materials for industry.
The project focuses on four key stable food and vegetables commonly grown in the country. These are maize, rice, soyabean and sorghum, tomato, onion and pepper.
The campaign has five main pillars of intervention namely the provision of seed, fertilizer, extension services, marketing and e-agriculture platform.
Under the campaign, selected farmers are supported with farm inputs such as improved seeds of the targeted crops, fertilizers and extension services directly from the ministry whilst other pillars are to be implemented with the private sector partners.
