Government will launch an agricultural campaign this year akin to Acheampong’s “operation feed yourself” to beef up Ghana’s food security, Finance Minister Ken Ofori Atta announced.
Presenting President Akufo-Addo’s maiden budget statement and economic policy to Parliament Thursday, Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta said the campaign would be dubbed “planting for food and jobs creation”.
It is expected to create at least 750,000 jobs in both direct and indirect employment. Farmers, he said, would be supported with about180,000 tonnes of subsided fertilizers in 2017.
“The campaign is designed to encourage all citizens (both urban and rural) to take up farming as a full or part-time activity. It is intended to structure it along the lines of the erstwhile “Operation Feed Yourself” (OFY) programme in the 1970s.
“The campaign will involve the production of maize, rice, soybean, sorghum and vegetables. Other crops will be adopted in subsequent years,” the minister said.
Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta said the campaign will be anchored on five pillars namely:
- Provision of improved seeds;
- supply of fertilizers;
- provision of dedicated extension services;
- marketing and
- E-Agriculture and Monitoring.
