By Quansah Mavis/ Kristodia Otibu Asiedu
Tema, Dec 5. GNA – Mr. Yohanne Nii Armagh Ashitey, Metropolitan Chief Executive for Tema, has encouraged the youth of Tema to take part in the youth for agricultural programme, which seeks to motivate the youth to accept and appreciate food production as a commercial venture.
He added that the initiative will provide the youth with essential knowledge about farming that can lead to a full-time vocation.
He said that the initiative seeks to provide over 4,200 direct and indirect jobs in Ghana to solve unemployment and continue to boost the economy.
Mr. Armah Ashitey was speaking at the 39th Municipal Farmers Day Celebration in Tema at Coca-Cola Park in Community 7 on the theme “Delivering Smart Solutions for Sustainable Food Security and Resilience.”
He stated that the critical role played by the fishermen and farmers in sustaining the nation’s food supply and food security could not be overlooked, hence the need to celebrate and honour their good works.
He said that the theme was carefully picked to voice out the vision and commitment to transform the agricultural landscape in Ghana through innovation, sustainability, and resilience.
He added that, in delivering smart solutions for sustainable food security, it was vital to design a multi-stakeholder partnership between the government, academia, and the private sector to support small-scale farmers and the entire agricultural value chain.
“Security and resilience in the agricultural sector are paramount for several reasons, such as guiding livelihood and economic growth. Our farmers, who are the heroes of our food production, rely on a secured and resilient environment to sustain their families and contribute to national developments.”
He said the shift towards smart solutions addressed current challenges and paved the way for a much more resilient and secure future and encouraged farmers to act smartly towards food safety by taking advantage of modern science and technology to increase crops and food yields and learn about food preservation techniques to boost productivity in the farming sector.
He mentioned that Phase two of the planning for food and jobs had been launched to address self-sufficiency in agricultural commodities, sustainable food security, import substitution, income and wealth creation through import and support services, storage infrastructure and planning of data arrangements, and digitised management monitoring and evaluation.
He urged farmers to do their best and support the government to achieve their goals of maintaining food security, reducing imports, promoting exports, and generating job opportunities, particularly among youth in Ghana.
GNA