By Solomon Gumah
Tamale, May 22, GNA – A study seeking to assess the effectiveness of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme and One District One Factory (1D1F) initiative, has recommended the need for the government to prioritise producing locally improved seed varieties and fertilizers to help address issues of foreign exchange fluctuations in the country.
The study recommended better targeting strategies to enhance the affordability of improved seed varieties and fertilizers, especially for smallholder farmers to enhance the progress and sustainability of the initiatives.
It further proposed to the government to initiate promotional linkage strategies and create more awareness among actors across the two programmes regarding the calibre of support that could be obtained to enhance their operations.
Dr Martin Hushie, a Research Scientist at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Nyankpala Campus, presented the recommendations during a validation and dissemination workshop on PFJ and 1D1F initiatives in Tamale.
The study was conducted in seven districts in the Northern Belt namely Tamale Metropolis, Savelugu, Builsa North and South, Nanumba North, West Gonja and West Mamprusi Municipalities.
It also proposed that government and other stakeholders must prioritise the provision of irrigation facilities, especially on the PFJ initiative to help maximise its holistic impact on farmers.
The study pointed out that although the PFJ and 1D1F were confronted with challenges including delays in the disbursement of government support, high cost of electricity supply and power fluctuations, inadequate improved seed varieties and fertilizers, they had the potential to champion the country’s industrialisation and economic growth agenda.
The findings, among others, also identified insufficient funding as a major threat towards the successful implementation and sustainability of the PFJ and 1D1F initiatives and proposed a long-term sustainable plan to enable future administrations to follow the same.
The workshop was organised by Third World Network – Africa (TWN – Africa) in partnership with Innovate Development Alternatives (IDEAS) and supported by the Open Society Foundation (OSP).
It was held under the theme: “Contribution PFJ and IVIF to Ghana’s Structural Economic Transformation”, and it attracted major stakeholders in the agriculture sector within the districts where the study was conducted.
Mr Sylvester Wullo Bagooro, Programme Officer, TWN – Africa said the workshop was to solicit stakeholders’ views on the PFJ and 1D1F, based on the findings of the study to enable them to appreciate the progress, challenges and opportunities associated with the implementation of the initiatives to inform policy directions.
He added that it was also aimed at assessing their effectiveness in promoting economic growth, job creation and poverty reduction.
He said similar validation and dissemination workshops on the PFJ and 1D1F would be held in the Volta and Southern Belts to draw a holistic viewpoint on the initiatives.
Mr Coleman Agyeyomah, Director of IDEAS, expressed optimism that the aftermath of the engagements would provoke government and private sector collaboration as an essential tool to drive economic transformation in the country.
Mr Isaac Pabia, National Secretary of the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, hinted that the electronic registration process for the implementation of PFJ phase two was experiencing a series of challenges in most rural communities adding that it was frustrating so many farmers.
Reverend Alirimbey Eloir, Representative, Amaabisa Company Limited in the Upper East Region lauded TWN – Africa and its partners for linking the two initiatives to identify some of the challenges and opportunities associated with them.
He called for broader and well-coordinated public policies on agriculture and economic transformation to help minimise poverty and deprivation in the northern sector.
GNA