Ghana made an investment of GH₵2.8 billion in the first phase of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) initiative, but she continued to import substantial quantities of grains and other staple foods.
Dr. Amos Rutherford Azinu, Seed Business Executive at Legacy Crop Improvement Centre (LCIC), stated that while the programme had achieved some success in increasing the production of certain crops, it failed to create the promised self-sufficiency.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Dr. Azinu attributed the shortcomings of PFJ to several key challenges.
He noted that poor storage infrastructure led to post-harvest losses, with estimates suggesting that 20 to 30 per cent of increased production was lost before reaching the market.
He further pointed out that insufficient processing capacity hindered efforts to convert raw agricultural produce into storable, value-added goods.
Dr. Azinu explained that distribution bottlenecks had prevented the efficient movement of produce from farming regions to urban centers, while the dependency on subsidies created unsustainable cost structures rather than establishing lasting agricultural systems.
Additionally, he noted that limited market integration had failed to connect increased production with commercial buyers in a structured manner.
Ghana’s Planting for Food and Jobs initiative, launched in 2017, represented one of the most ambitious agricultural transformation programmes in the country’s recent history.
As the new government of President John Dramani Mahama prepares to implement the Feed Ghana project, Dr. Azinu highlighted the importance of learning from PFJ’s shortcomings to ensure a more effective approach.
He advised that the government’s investment should extend beyond farm inputs to storage, processing, and distribution, arguing that creating integrated value chains would ensure that increased production translates into reduced imports.
He underscored the need to prioritize climate resilience, urging policymakers to focus on drought-resistant crop varieties, irrigation systems, and sustainable farming practices to combat climate volatility affecting Ghana’s agricultural sector.
Dr. Azinu also called for data-driven implementation, stating that improved data collection and analysis would help target interventions effectively, rather than applying blanket solutions.
Additionally, he advocated for stronger collaboration with private agribusinesses to address the processing and distribution gaps that had hindered PFJ’s success.
Furthermore, he stressed the necessity of a strategic import substitution approach, arguing that a clear, prioritized strategy targeting high-import crops with strong domestic production potential could optimize resource allocation.
Reflecting on the GH₵2.8 billion investment in PFJ, Dr. Azinu stressed that the commitment to agricultural development should extend beyond production, adding that for Feed Ghana to succeed, it must address the entire agrarian ecosystem rather than focusing solely on crop yields.
In recent times, the discussion on agricultural transformation remains a crucial topic as stakeholders seek to enhance food security and reduce Ghana’s reliance on imports.
