Prime News Ghana

Prez Akufo Addo outdoors "Planting for Food and Job programme" today

By Clement Edward Kumsah
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President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will today April 19 launch the national ‘Planting for Food and Job programme’ in Goaso, in the Brong-Ahafo Region.

The programme is a latest  initiative introduced by the Akufo Addo led-government to promote national food security and job creation.

Under the programme, farmers would be motivated to engage in maize, millet, beans and other crop farming in commercial quantities.

Also, interested farmers would be provided with free seedlings and other agricultural inputs and agro-chemicals such as fertilizers at reduced prices.

Minister of Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto has stated that the government’s flagship agric policy,(‘Planting for Food and Job) will cost GHc 560 million in its first phase.

However, few month elapse, government of Ghana secured a $120 million facility from the Canadian government to begin the project.

According to the Minister, 200,000 farmers have  been recruited for the "Planting for Food and Job" programme and is "going to generate GHc 1.3 billion for the participating farmers and also create 750,000 jobs and this is involving maize, rice, soya, sorghum and vegetable [cultivation] for the first year.”