The government says it will revive the ‘Operation Feed Yourself’ concept initiated in 1972, to boost domestic food production and consumption, particularly increase meal portions and nutrition to students.
Mr Eric Opoku, the Food and Agriculture Minister Designate, said this when he appeared before Parliament’s Appointments Committee for vetting, noting that the initiative would cover, homes, schools and religious institutions.
“We’re going to launch a programme harkened likened to (General Ignatius Kutu) Acheampong’s operation feed yourself; under that programme every Ghanaian, every household will be encouraged to own a home garden,” he said.
“We’re also going to encourage institutional farming under this programme. Every secondary school in this country will be made to own a farm,” the Minister Designate said, while pledging the government’s support to its success.
He stated that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture would work collaboratively with the Education Ministry to recruit labourers to help various secondary schools to prepare their farms to yield high food crops.
“If we’re able to do this, if for nothing at all, we can reduce the cost of school feeding, improve both the qualitative and quantitative aspects of the food that’s served to our students.” Mr Opoku said.
He also noted that the government would give incentives to religious organisations which are into farming to increase their financial resources to the agricultural sector to boost production, which would be connected to processing companies and markets.
“We’re also going to encourage the Churches and Muslim entities – already, some of them are into farming – the Saviour, Pentecost and Christo Asafo churches, and many others, to invest in farming.” Mr Opoku said.
“At least, we should take advantage of the rich soil to produce the basic vegetables that we need in our homes. Nature has blessed us with land that’s capable of giving us the food that we can eat and even export, so we have to take advantage of that,” he stated.
He said the government would also implement other programmes to make agriculture attractive to Ghanaians, including providing extension officers to farmers, creating market for their produce, and establish mini processing centres closer to farms.
