The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE)for Asokwa, Chief Akwannuasah Gyimah has launched government’s phase two edition of the Planting For Food and Jobs Project at the Assembly where all stakeholders in the Agric business were present.
Chief Akwannuasah encouraged the stakeholders especially farmers to take the phase two project seriously since it had the potential to change their fortunes in life.
He noted that government had designed the project with private sector hands so that it could provide better support to farmers to grow on large scales in a bid to ensuring food security all year round and reduce the population’s dependency on foreign agric products.
“I’ll use this platform to encourage the youth in this community to take advantage of the PFJ Phase two and participate in same by looking for land and starting some farming business since all they will need after their farms are marked out by Agric officers would be provided to them including seedlings, fertiliser, working implements and others”, the MCE stated.
Agric Director:
Mr Ernest Kwame Kusi, Asokwa Municipal Director of Agric addressing the participants, said the government was committed to using the phase two of the PFJ to ensure food security, availability and affordable sales throughout the year.
He noted that having attained a record 6.3% gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017 from the PFJ after inheriting a paltry 2.6% GDP from the NDC government in 2016, the Ministry continuously design programmes and initiatives whose drive is to ensure better returns for the farmer as well as food security and availability for all Ghanaians.
The Director disclosed that government was in the PFJ phase two partnering with private sector players who in this project are described as aggregators to supply items including seedlings, farm inputs and other support services to farmers to grow on large scales.
“The aim of this PFJ phase two is to encourage massive participation of farmers including the youth so they can grow the 11 food items such as rice, millet, onion, tomatoes, plantain, cassava, yam and the rearing of some broilers on large scale and make them available for the market so that government can buy and store at warehouses and generate foreign income from sale of same and also make them available to the Ghanaian market at affordable rates all year round”, the Director explained.
Presiding Member:
Nana Yaw Wiredu, Presiding Member At the Asokwa Municipal Assembly who chaired the launch of the project commended government for its foresight.
He noted that Asokwa being noted for the growing of large quantities of vegetables was placed in a unique position to participate in the project and make economic capital out of the PFJ phase 2.
Hon Wiredu therefore encouraged the participants to go out there with the word and motivate especially the youth to take up interest in farming so that they could become beneficiaries of the project.
“I am happy that the NPP government takes farming seriously and by this PFJ we’ve had access to food at odd times during the year and i believe this phase two would even increase food production while farmers benefit from same economically as well”, the PM stressed.
Story By Michael Ofosu-Afriyie,
Kumasi.
