John Dumelo
The Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, John Dumelo, has disclosed that the government plans to establish 250 Farm Service Centres in the next four years.
The initiative forms part of government’s intervention to provide the necessary incentives and infrastructure to help farmers expand production and improve their efficiency.
Speaking on Joy News, he mentioned that the government plans to begin work on about 11 to 12 centres this year, as part of the project’s initial phase, adding that President John Mahama is expected to cut the sod for the first set of Farm Service Centres in the Afram Plains in the next one or two weeks, which will mark the beginning of the nationwide rollout of the programme.
The minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency, stated that the farm service centres established will enable farmers have access to mechanisation, seeds, fertilisers and other essentials necessary during production process.
“The farm service centres are going to be established for farmers to have access to mechanisation, seeds, fertilisers, technical assistance, and other support services,” he stressed.
“Everywhere in the world, most governments bring in incentives for farmers to be able to thrive, and that is exactly what this government is doing,” he pointed out.
Farm Service Centres are facilities established to support farmers by providing shared agricultural services, including machinery, farm inputs, and extension support, aimed at reducing production costs while improving efficiency and yields.
By Florence Asamoah Adom