Govt outlines measures to improve Agric production
One hundred and eighty thousand metric tonnes of fertiliser is to be made available to farmers at subsidised prices for the 2017 farming season to help increase agricultural productivity, the Minister of Finance, Mr Kenneth Ofori-Atta, has said.
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An amount of GH¢421.52 million, representing 93.60 per cent of the total budget of GH¢450.33 million for the agricultural sector in 2017, will be spent on initiatives such as the fertiliser subsidy programme (FSP) and the agricultural mechanisation service centres (AMSECs).
The minister announced this when he presented the 2017 Budget Statement and Economic Policy to Parliament yesterday.
The budget is on the theme: “Sowing the seeds for growth and jobs”.
In the medium term, he said, the agricultural sector would be modernised to improve productivity and achieve food security and profitability for farmers.
Initiative
According to Mr Ofori-Atta, “in 2017 government will launch the planting for food and jobs (PFFJ) campaign designed to encourage all citizens, both urban and rural, to take up farming as a full/part-time activity”.
He said the project would be structured along the lines of the “Operation Feed Yourself” that was introduced in the 1970s and would involve the production of maize, rice, soya bean, sorghum and vegetables.
Other crops would be adopted in subsequent years.
The minister said the campaign would be anchored on five pillars, namely fertiliser supply, the provision of improved seeds, the provision of dedicated extension services, marketing and e-agric and monitoring.
“This initiative is expected to improve maize production by 30 per cent, rice by 49 per cent, soya bean by 25 per cent and sorghum by 28 per cent and will create 750,000 direct and indirect employment,” he said.
Mr Ofori-Atta added that the Agriculture Ministry would import improved seeds to augment any shortfalls in the PFFJ campaigns.
He said existing AMSECs would be revamped and the private sector supported to establish, manage and provide affordable mechanisation services for farmers.
The ministry would also facilitate the supply of 549 tractors and other agricultural machinery to farmers.
Fisheries
In the fisheries sector, the minister said, there was the need to modernise artisanal fishing and improve production methods to ensure sustainable fishing, since the sub-sector employed a significant number of Ghanaians along the coast.
To achieve that, he said, phase one of the Anomabo Fisheries College would be completed to enhance research and knowledge-base in fisheries technology for all operators.
“The ministry will also collaborate with relevant institutions and the private sector to develop modern landing sites and storage facilities at James Town, Cape Coast, Axim and Mumford,” Mr Ofori-Atta said.
Performance
According to the 2017 budget, agriculture recorded positive growth rates, with the livestock and the fishing sub-sectors being the best growth performers.
The crops sub-sector grew by 3.3 per cent on a provisional basis, an improvement over the 2015 performance. Cocoa is estimated to have grown by 2.5 per cent, indicating an improvement over the negative 2.3 per cent it registered in 2015
Outlook
The agricultural sector is projected to grow by 3.5 per cent in 2017, supported by the continued recovery of the crops sub-sector and projected increases in the production of rice, maize and the tubers.
It has been estimated that the livestock sub-sector will maintain a stable growth of 5.3 per cent in 2017, just like 2016.
Overall, the agricultural sector is projected to grow by 4.0 per cent and 4.2 per cent in 2018 and 2019, respectively, thereby attaining an average growth rate of 3.9 per cent for 2017-2019.