Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto
GOVERNMENT HAS released an amount of GH₵1.10 billion for the creation of more jobs in the food and agricultural sector.
The money, allocated to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, is expected to boost job creation in the sector.
President Akufo-Addo, in a tweet stated, “More jobs to be created in the agriculture sector. #JobsForAll.”
Consequently, he said the growth to be experienced in the sector will result in the creation of more jobs for citizens.
Commemorating Farmers’ Day last year, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Owusu Afriyie Akoto, explained that the modules under the Planting for Food and Jobs programme are underlying strategies “to promote agribusinesses along the value chain to ensure maximum returns to job creation for the economy of Ghana.”
The modules are the food crops module, rearing for food and jobs, the greenhouse technology module and the farm mechanisation module.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, Yaw Frimpong Addo, says 1.7 million farmers have been enrolled on the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme.
Planting for Food and Jobs is a flagship agricultural Campaign of the government, with five (5) implementation modules.
The first module PFJ (Crops) aims to promote food security and immediate availability of selected food crops on the market and also provide jobs.
This module was officially launched by H. E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo at Goaso on April 19, 2017 in the then Brong Ahafo Region.
The objective of the campaign was to ensure immediate and adequate availability of selected food commodities, provide job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youth in the agriculture and allied sectors, create general awareness for all formal workers and public institutions to farm and establish backyard gardens and to serve as food imports substitution.
BY Jamila Akweley Okertchiri