Improving Planting for Food and Jobs: New Agric Minister consults stakeholders
In Ghana today, one common household slogan used in describing the agriculture sector is Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), the agricultural flagship programme launched in April 2017 by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo.
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With the focus on improving the yields of farmers, access to markets, reducing post-harvest losses and enhancing extension service delivery, the policy rallied all citizens to grow grain crops and vegetables in open spaces including backyards.
Sector growth
Championed by the former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the programme also seeks to ensure food availability and security and over the last six years, it succeeded in recording the highest growth rate of the sector to an unprecedented 8.4 per cent in 2021.
That was the highest growth since the inception of the fourth republic in 1992, the ministry attributing it to the PFJ, the former minister described it as a runaway success with evidence at the Statistical Service.
Price hikes
However, in the recent past, the PFJ has featured prominently in various Ghanaian media space for various reasons, particularly the recent hikes in food prices.
While many are of the view that the programme has been largely a success, others including key stakeholders, are of the contrary view that the PFJ did not work as expected.
Those arguing based on the high food prices believe that if the PFJ was successful, there should have been enough food.
To disprove that, the then minister Dr Akoto set up what came to be known as the PFJ Markets starting from the premises of the ministry and later expanded to other locations in the city and even to Kumasi.
The principle of the markets was simple and it was that, truckloads of food items, particularly yam, cassava, maize and rice were carted from food producing areas, where the prices were reasonably low to the cities, and the prices of those food items were equally lower than what was sold in the open market.
Commitment to PFJ
Therefore, the current scenario places many, especially, farmers in anxiety and in anticipation of what new ideas, strategy and fine-tuning the new sector Minister, Dr Bryan Acheampong, brings to the table to address the food security needs of the country.
In furtherance of the vision to revamp and modernise agriculture in the country, Dr Acheampong is convinced that the PFJ remains the flagship programme for the agriculture sector and is set to receive the needed attention for expansion.
The minister believes that the country has no excuse to continue to import poultry and poultry products, rice, etc considering the resources available.
What it calls for is commitment and political will to reverse the current undesirable situation of being a net importer to a production- minded country.
The MP for Abetifi, a former Minister of State at the Ministry of the Interior and at the Ministry of National Security, Dr Acheampong is an accomplished politician and business leader and is expected to continue with the transformation agenda in a sector at the heart of the country’s quest for food security, import substitution and economic growth.
Stakeholder engagement
It is with this commitment that on assumption of office on April 4, 2023 as the sector minister, Dr Acheampong initiated engagement with key stakeholders to afford him greater insights into the challenges, opportunities and potentials in the sector.
The minister holds the view that with a thorough understanding of the agriculture value-chain actors, the ministry is able to offer a better service which is more focused and specific to the needs of the stakeholders.
More importantly, the engagements have been structured to build consensus on charting pathways for achieving national targets of sustainable food security, promotion of exports and industrialisation.
The cross section of stakeholders engaged so far include value-chain actors of strategic commodities such as rice, soya, maize, tomato and poultry.
Having expressed satisfaction with the performance and success chalked up over the years, Dr Acheampong believes there are still a lot more potential and returns expected from PFJ.
Enhancing PFJ
“PFJ in the coming weeks will be in full flight and more is expected in terms of results.
“While it may not be possible to achieve the target of reversing imports by 2024, we will leave no stone unturned to significantly reduce the country’s dependence on imports,” Dr Acheampong expressed optimism.
The minister said he was greatly inspired and encouraged by the support pledged during the meeting with stakeholders and “I am more than confident that the agenda of expanding the capacity of Ghana agriculture can be achieved.
“Government will, roll out programmes to facilitate growth in the livestock industry to complement the PFJ programme to increase food production and address the issue of food insecurity,” Dr Acheampong gave the assurance after the meeting.
Food security is a national security matter and that is why the energy with which the new minister is coming with is laudable.
Himself being a security capo, Dr Acheampong knows the implications of a national insecurity and if food security is equated to national security, then a lot more is expected of him.
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