The government’s leading agricultural initiative, Planting for Food and Jobs, will be reviewed, according to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
According to Nana Akufo-Addo, the program’s next phase would engage the commercial sector and attract more youthful participants.
Speaking in Italy at the 4th European Business Council on Africa and the Middle East, Nana Akufo-Addo claims that this initiative has helped Ghana achieve food security.
“After six years of successful implementation, the programme has come up for review, and it is transitioning into phase two. It is called PFJ Phase Two and this phase will be expanded to achieve private sector participation with emphasis on value chain development. It is also a paradigm shift from import subsidy to import credit scheme, and it is designed to attract more investment in the agric sector and expected to increase productivity and production.”
The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana has been advocating for a review of the initiative for some time and argued a review is long overdue.
The then Agric Minister, Dr. Afriyie Akoto in October 2022 revealed that the government had spent GH¢2.6 billion on the program and touted the success of the program.
Planting for Food and Jobs is a flagship agricultural Campaign of the Government, with five (5) implementation modules.
The first module PFJ (Crops) aims to promote food security and immediate availability of selected food crops on the market and also provide jobs. This module was officially launched by H. E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo at Goaso on April 19, 2017, in the then Brong Ahafo Region.
