Deputy Local Government Minister, Collins Ntim at the event in Tamale
Government has begun rolling out the Planting for Export and Rural Development Programme (PERD).
The programme sets out clear strategic action plans to develop seven selected cash crops namely cashew, coffee, oil palm, coconut, citrus, cotton and shea into cash crops.
The PERD is not only expected to create jobs mostly for the youth and unemployed graduates, but also ensure sustainable supply of raw materials to support government’s decentralized industrialization drive through the ‘One District, One Factory’ initiative.
Metropolitan, municipal and Districts assemblies (MMDAs) in selected areas are expected to recruit about 300 youth and unemployed graduates for specific crops in every district, who would be trained as extension agents to support the farmers to develop their farms.
Under this concept, MMDAs are required to develop an agricultural project initiative, taking into consideration one or two of the identified cash crops with a budget that would support 10,000 to 20,000 farmers to cultivate an average of 10 acres of the crops within the next four years.
They would be required to establish seed banks in the various MMDAs that would raise high yielding varieties of seedlings.
The MMDAs are implored to consult with traditional council to recruit about 200 fire volunteers per district to preserve and control the management of fire outbreaks.
Therefore, the assemblies are expected to review and gazette their by-laws governing fire management not later than end of first quarter.
As part of the project, 78 districts have been earmarked for the cultivation of cashew only.
In an interview with BUSINESS GUIDE, the Deputy Local Government Minister and MP for Offinso North, Collins Ntim, said government is very particular about agriculture because it has the potential to transform the livelihood of farmers, create employment and rejuvenate the environment while creating sustainable raw materials for the sustenance of the One District, One Factory policy.
Northern Regional Minister, Salifu Saeed, entreated all MMDCEs to fully commit to the programme.
From Eric Kombat, Tamale