Eric Opoku inspecting processing facilities at P&A
The minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has announced that the country spends $3 billion on the importation of food yearly.
Speaking at a visit to the P&A African Food International Limited, he explained that the amount spent on food importation creates jobs for the people outside which enables them to expand their production.
He said, “So Ghana spends $3 billion on the importation of food. That $3 billion goes outside our country to create jobs for the people there. So they are able to expand because when they produce, the Ghanaian people will buy,” he said.
Mr. Opoku thus urged the public to patronise locally manufactured and processed foods owned by Ghanaians in order to help create jobs for the youth stating that not patronising our locally produced goods contributes to the exportation of jobs to the outside world.
“If we are able to produce here and then spend the $3 billion in the country, that alone can create more than 10 million jobs for the people of our country,” he stated.
He stressed that job creation is a collective responsibility stating that the country’s agriculture sector is private led adding that the government’s contribution is to create the conducive atmosphere for private sector to take up the opportunities and then develop them.
Mr. Opoku commended P&A foods for their processing initiatives and urged individuals with capacity to venture into processing emphasising that buying food for homes is not sufficient to off take from farmers.
“All over the country, our farmers are crying for market. Buying for food alone in our halls will not be sufficient to offtake from our farmers. And so, we are urging individuals with the capacity to go into processing.
“I’m happy to note that here, the company P&A Foods has established a plant for the processing of maize. A plant that can process cassava into flour, export and also sell in the domestic market,” he stated.
Mr. Opoku further assured the company of his support to enable the expansion of its produce from farmers citing his interest in the egg processing plants
“We want to give you the assurance that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture is with you.
We will also do everything possible to enable you expand and then take more of the produce from our farmers. We are not into that business alone. I’m also so much interested in the egg processing plant that we have established here,” he assured.
General Manger for P&A foods, Richard Mainoo, used the opportunity to request for assistance from the government. He said the company needed grants in order to procure additional processing equipment’s to enable the company to scale up production and operate effectively under the 24 hour economy, construction of modern warehouses to enhance storage capacity and reduce post-harvest loses and also an assistance in acquiring haulage trucks to facilitate the transportation of produce directly from the farm gates to the processing facility.
By Florence Adom Asamoah