Accra, Jan. 26, GNA – Government’s flagship programme–Planting for Food and Jobs–is yielding positive results towards achieving accelerated growth in the agriculture sector, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, has said.
The intervention is improving food security, creating job opportunities along the agricultural value chain, improving productivity at the farm level and ensuring availability of raw materials for industry.
Speaking at this year’s New Year School and Conference, the Minister said various interventions under the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) and other initiatives in the sector had mitigated the impact of climate change in their design and implementation.
That, he explained included the use of climate resilient seeds, irrigation systems, weather technologies and farmer education, all geared towards greening Ghana for Food and Jobs.
Dr Akoto said the Ministry had implemented specific projects in collaboration with development partners aimed at reducing the vulnerability of farmers to climate change and other shocks.
They are: the International Fund for Agricultural Development Climate Resilience component under Ghana Agricultural Sector Investment Programme, the African Development Bank conservation agriculture under the Savannah Zone Agricultural Productivity Improvement Project and the European Union funded programme for Resilience against climate change.
He stated that the Planting for Export and Rural Development module, an initiative under the PFJ had positive effects on greening Ghana for Food and Jobs, and in addition to the objective of diversification of export and farmer incomes.
Under the module, the Minister said job creation opportunities could be harnessed through land development, seedling production, planting, managing plantations and harvesting.
He annoounced that 23 million seedlings of selected three crops had been raised in the last three years and distributed.
Dr Akoto said the Ministry through its extension services had provided awareness by educating farmers on reversing land degradation through sustainable practices, sustainably management of natural resources and adoption of resilience methods for adaptation and mitigation of climate change.
He said the combined effect of those specific interventions over the years had accounted substantially for improved food production and overall food security of the country.
Touching on future strategies, the Minister said the Government would focus on promoting Climate Smart Agriculture cocoa production and promoting climate-resilient ruminant production and genetic resource conservation.
Other strategies are: sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, promoting diversified tree crop production, and strengthening Integrated Pest Management mechanisms to reduce the need for chemical pesticides.
That, would improve resilience to shocks and help strengthen the country’s national food systems.
GNA