President Akufo-Addo laying a foundation stone for the construction 1,000 metric tons capacity warehouse at Ejura
President Akufo-Addo has given assurance that agriculture will be modernized and improved to boost food security and profitability of farmers through value addition.
According to him, farmers are being equipped to boost the development of communities to expand the country’s economy at large under the ‘One District, One Warehouse policy.
Speaking at the launch of the Infrastructural for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) at Ejura in the Ashanti Region, President Akufo-Addo said government would build 1,000 metric tonne-capacity warehouses in each of the 216 districts across the country alongside the agriculture value chain and its linkages to industry and service sectors.
He indicated that this would enable farmers in the country to store their produce in a more efficient and effective way to create employment and foreign exchange to improve their lives.
The IPEP initiative is aimed at supporting government’s priority initiatives, which include the One District, One Factory, One Village, One Dam, Agricultural Infrastructure Warehouses and Markets and Water and Sanitation.
The President also used the occasion, which was 37th World Food Day celebration, to officially launch the ‘One District, One Warehouse’ policy under the IPEP initiative.
He added that under the programme, farm produce would be stored from the anticipated surpluses from the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ policy and promote non-traditional exports.
He asserted that the project would address challenges of price volatility and indicated that farmers would no longer market their produce immediately after harvesting.
President Akufo-Addo posited that the warehouses would be certified to enable them participate in the Warehouse Receipt System being implemented under the Ghana Commodities Exchange project.
“Under the Warehouse Receipt System, farmers will be able to deposit their yields in these warehouses without thinking of post-harvest losses,” he noted.
He added that his government’s policies and interventions encompass the full agricultural value chain.
“It is also to create additional businesses and job opportunities in areas of storage, transport, processing, packaging and marketing of agricultural produce, all of which will ensure that our farmers and fisher folk earn higher incomes.
“Improving the quality of life of our farmers is a major objective of my government,” President stressed.
He stated that the Community-based Health Planning Services would be expanded to improve health delivery, adding that small-water systems would be provided to improve supply of potable water to all parts of the country.
“Government will therefore establish three developmental authorities to ensure the smooth implementation of IPEP initiatives. These are the Northern Development Authority, Middle Belt Development Authority and the Coastal Development Authority,” he disclosed.
The President said the implementation of the IPEP initiative will involve the private sector and other government agencies to ensure successful roll out of the programmes.
Abebe Haile Gabriel, a representative of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, reiterated the organisation’s commitment to supporting the efforts of government, as it rolls out policies and programmes that prioritize agricultural transformation and rural development.
For him, a successful agricultural development will not only end hunger and malnutrition, but it can also be a strong foundation for economic transformation and shared prosperity among Ghanaians.
He stated further that an efficient and effective warehouse system would help reduce post-harvest losses, facilitate the smoothing out of seasonal crops sales by farmers which will lead to better control of market prices, incomes and improved liquidity.
“It will ensure a sustained supply of inputs to agro-processers, and through improved product quality help to improve nutrition to consumers,” he observed.
He added that the system would also generate decent jobs for the youth.
From Ernest Kofi Adu, Kumasi