Planting for food and jobs committee inaugurated

Minister for Food and Agriculture Dr. Afriyie Akoto has inaugurated a 9 -member national organizing committee to spearhead the "Planting for food and jobs" policy of the government.

The committee which is chaired by deputy minister designate for Information Perry Curtis Okudzeto also has Nana Oppong Damoa, Theophilus Osei Owusu, Philip Osei Nkrumah, Asante Krobea, Aaron Igly, Faisal Sissi, Frank Amoako and Issa Alhassan as members.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is expected to officially launch the programme in April this year in the Brong Ahafo region.

The planting for food and jobs is one of the strategic programmes of the New Patriotic Party aimed to increase food production while creating jobs for the unemployed youth in the country.

The programme is focusing on the cultivation of five food crops notably rice, maize, sorghum, soybeans and vegetables.

So far 1,200 graduates have been recruited and trained as extension officers for the programme.

Speaking to the press during the inauguration of the committee, Minister for Food and Agriculture Dr Afriyie Akoto noted that government spent a colossal $2.2billion to import five food items.

Dr. Akoto, who expressed concern about the huge import bill, stated that the successful implementation of the programme will go a long way to help reduce agriculture food import bill.

He added that government also intends to export food surplus from the programme to Sahellian countries to earn foreign exchange.

He announced that an amount of Ghc560 million had been budgeted for the programme.

Dr Akoto urged Ghanaians to participate in the programme to ensure that it becomes successful.

Story By: Michael Creg Afful

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