Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu
THE Majority Leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has said that the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP’s) Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJs) programme has not only ensured food security in the country, but has also offered many jobs to the teeming youth.
According to him, since 1975 when Ghana produced and exported maize to its neighbouring countries courtesy “Operation Feed Yourself” instituted by the late General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, “last year was the first time we again exported maize to other countries.”
“While in Tamale some eight weeks ago, I saw many trucks packed there and when I enquired I was told that they were from Burkina Faso and Mali and had come to procure yam, local rice and maize.
“I think it was a good observation. The other day I heard the Minister of Agriculture tell us that by close of June these food purchases to the neighbouring countries have amounted to close to $180 million and it was very revealing,” Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said in Parliament on Monday.
The Majority Leader, who is also the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, was contributing to a statement by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto on the celebration of the 36th edition of the National Farmers’ Day.
According to him, these developments should be an encouragement for farmers, noting that the growth in agriculture ought to be something that should also commend itself to Ghanaians.
“In 2016, agriculture growth was in the region of 0.6 per cent. Previous years, we have even experienced negative growth in agriculture. Over the past three years, the growth in agriculture has averaged about 4.5 per cent.
“Not too high, but Mr. Speaker, from where we have come – 0.6 per cent and negative growth in 2013 and 2014, it means we are improving and it is attributable to the government’s project of Planting for Food and Jobs,” he explained.
The Majority Leader said what is to be followed up with is harvesting to feed the government flagship project of One-District-One-Factory (1D1F).
“If we are able to do that we will be able to guarantee prices for the agriculture products. Increasing production is not the only way of making agriculture attractive. If you increase production and become over productive in a year, it becomes disincentive to the farmers,” he argued.
“We need to hasten ourselves with the construction of the factories because many of these factories are agro-based. Once we are able to do that we will be able to guarantee prices and stabilise the income of farmers. This will make it attractive for young guys to go into farming. Either than that we won’t be able to attract the youth to farming.”
By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House