More resources allocated to agric sector under Akufo-Addo’s gov’t – Agric Minister
Minister for Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has indicated, that for the five years of President Akufo-Addo’s government, resources allocated to the agriculture ministry, surpasses any other government since independence.
He added that due to this effort by the government, it is there not surprising to see that the country has become a food basket for West Africa with the surrounding countries coming in to buy from Ghana.
“In fact, I will say that the amount of resources allocated to the agriculture sector in the last five years are so much that if you compare it to the resources which have been given to the sector in the past, no government has dedicated so much public resources to agricultural development,” he said.
“Under the Akufo-Addo government, a total of 1.4 million tonnes of fertilisers and 91,000 tonnes of certified seeds have been made available to farmers since 2017,” stated the Minister saying that the number of beneficiary farmers was currently 1.7 million from an initial number of 207,000 farmers in 2017.
The Minister said this at the Gbewa Palace to kick start his tour of the five regions of the North.
According to the Minister, the Northern Region’s contributions to food trade is important for the region and the development of the farmers.
He said there are several programs designed specifically for the Savannah zone naming the Savannah Zone Agricultural Productivity Improvement Project (SAPIP) as one of them.
“It’s only in its fourth year of implementation and we have great hope that it’s going to expand agriculture and absorb the numerous youth who are unemployed,” the Minister added.
He also said the ministry is implementing the Savannah Investment Program (SIP) which is solely for the livestock sub-sector.
“We have gone for a loan from the African Development Bank (ADB) to boost the production of livestock in selected regions including the northern region, that project is only two years and its already having an impact on the farmers,” Dr Akoto said.
According to him, under the one village one dam policy, more dams will be constructed and the region will greatly benefit from the dams constructed.
Again, the Minister noted more warehouses will be built in the country by the government and the northern region is going to benefit when they begin in addition to the eight that are already in existence.
The Planting for Exports and Rural Development (PERD), the Minister further noted, has also made gains in the development of six strategic tree crops namely rubber, oil palm, cashew, mango, coconut and shea, and they are meant to diversify and augment the country’s export earnings.
With regards to the Rearing for Food and Jobs programme, thousands of different species of livestock had been distributed to seven national livestock breeding stations in 196 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies.
