By Ernest KISSIEDU
An estimated GHS700million has been allocated by government to take care of ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ initiative in the 2018 fiscal year.
This was disclosed by Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta in Parliament during the presentation of the National Budget on Wednesday, November 15, 2017.
The ‘Adwuma’ Budget presented under the theme, “Putting Ghana Back to Work” is expected to turn around the fortunes of Ghana.
According to Mr Ofori-Atta, the ministry will distribute 200 tractors and matching implements, 1,000 power tillers and walking tractors, 30 tractor mounted rippers, 10 tractor drawn rear blade and 10 tractor mounted slasher in 2018.
In addition, 60 boom and orchard sprayers, 4000 motorised sprayers, 60 mechanical and pneumatic planters, 50 cereal harvesters, 200 multi-crop threshers, 400 irrigation kits (engine and solar powered sprinklers sets), and 100 green house technology for horticulture production will also be given to farmers as part of efforts to promote agricultural mechanization in the country.
Beyond the distribution of implements, “Work on setting up the Ghana Commodity Exchange (GCX) and Warehouse Receipt System has been on-going for a decade. The Exchange is expected to enable easy access to markets, fair pricing for smallholder farmers and formalise informal agriculture trading activities.
“Government’s priority is to operationalise the Commodities Exchange in 2018 to support agriculture transformation including the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative,” the finance minister said.
To improve livelihood of livestock farmers in all 10 regions and increase meat production, Mr Ofori-Atta asserted that some 2,000 livestock farmers will be supported with 70,000 small ruminants (Sheep and Goats).
The Ministry will also support six National Livestock Breeding Stations to produce and distribute 200 crossbred heifers, 1,700 improved pigs, and 100,000 cockerels.
He described ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ programme to be of tremendous success especially having recruited 2,160 university graduates and 1,070 youth to register and provide extension services to farmers across the country.
To date, 201,000 farmers have been registered; and 121,000MT of subsidised fertilizers and 4,454.98 MT of subsidised seeds of cereal, legumes and vegetables have been distributed to beneficiary farmers.
Mr. Ofori-Atta observed that the invasion of the Fall Army Worm (FAW) was successfully managed through distribution of chemicals to farmers; recruitment of spraying gangs; and monitoring and surveillance.
“This intervention recovered 123,232ha of farm lands out of 137,479ha affected. A strategic stock of insecticide and other logistics will be built to ensure ready availability of chemicals during outbreaks as well as intensification of monitoring and surveillance,” he stressed.
