Accra, Nov.15, GNA – The government is to set up two more Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) Markets at Okaishie, near the Fire Service Office, and the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, all in Accra.
This follows the high patronage of farm produce transported to the premises of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for direct sales, which started on Friday, November 11, 2022.
The initiative, which is a pilot project under the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), is meant to mitigate the impact of rising food prices on real incomes of civil and local government workers.
Mr Issah Alhassan, the Press Secretary to the Minister for Food and Agriculture, told the Ghana News Agency that more produce, including rice would be included in the items on sale from today, Tuesday, November 15, 2022.
He said the initiative had largely achieved its aim to bring attention to the availability and affordability of food products.
As at 1000 hours, when the GNA visited the MOFA on Tueaday, scores of people were already buying foodstuffs, including plantains and tubers of yams.
A sizable bunch of plantain is sold between GHC10.00 to GHC50. 00.
A section of the patrons the GNA spoke to applauded the government for the initiative, noting that the prices of the produce were more reasonable than the regular markets.
Madam Rosemond Addai, a beneficiary, said she bought a tuber of yam for GHC5.00, explaining that the same size and weight was selling between GHC15.00 to GHC20.00 at other markets.
She appealed to the Ministry to add cereals, legumes, fruits, vegetables and spices as well as poultry to enable families get affordable foodstuffs for the Christmas.
Mr Kwadjo Adu said,‘‘Prices here are so cheap, the ordinary person can afford the prices, especially in these economic hardship. ”
Prices of food and transport in the last two quarters continue to increase, pushing inflation rate to hit 40.4 per cent for the month of October 2022.
The year-on-year inflation rate rose to 40.4 per cent in October from 37.2 per cent in the previous month, the Ghana Statistical Service has said.
Prof. Samuel Kobina Annim, the Government Statistician, said the Consumer Price Inflation for October 2022 based on the new series was 144.4 relative to 102.9 for October 2021 using the linked series
He said food inflation for October increased to 43.7 per cent from the previous month’s food inflation of 37. 8 per cent with the month-on-month food inflation being 3.2 per cent.
Inflation for locally produced items was 39.1 per cent, while inflation for imported items stood at 43.7 per cent.
GNA