President John Dramani Mahama says The Government will begin the implementation of well-considered policies geared towards reversing the high food import bill and food inflation in the country.
The policies, he said, would be guaranteed by the availability of reliable power supply for the agriculture and fisheries sector to meet food needs while advancing exports to earn foreign exchange to strengthen the economy. “Ghana has fertile lands, abundant water, and human resources. Yet, we face a paradox. Our food import bill continues to soar, reaching alarming levels of over US$2 billion annually.
“In addition, rising food inflation is burdening households and threatening livelihoods,” he said during his first State of the Nation Address on the floor of Parliament on Thursday. Sharing highlights of the policies, he said government would introduce the Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda (AETA) to modernise agriculture, enhance agribusiness, ensure food security, lower food inflation, boost exports, and create sustainable jobs.
He also mentioned the Feed Ghana Programme, which would increase food production and reduce prices through projects like the Grains Development Project, focusing on rice, maize, and soybean production.
Other projects under the programme are the Vegetable Development Project, targeting crops such as tomatoes, onion, and pepper; Poultry farm-to-table project to boost local production and eliminate poultry imports, and the “Nkukor nkitinkiti” project, which would cover 55,000 households producing eggs and fresh poultry for the market.
“Ghana imports 95 per cent of its poultry needs, which costs over US$ 300 million annually. To reverse this trend, government’s plan is to revamp the poultry sector by investing in hatcheries, feed mills, processing, and distribution, working toward eliminating poultry imports,” President Mahama said. He hinted of initiatives to strengthen the collaboration between agriculture and industry, prioritise value addition and the positioning of agriculture as a profitable and appealing activity for the youth.
To address the challenges associated with access to mechanisation, quality seeds, fertilisers, and extension services, the President said government would establish Farmer Service Centres in every agricultural district, ensuring farmers received essential resources to improve productivity and efficiency
“We will implement an AgriNext Programme to facilitate access to land banks by young farmers, connect graduates with opportunities in the agricultural value chain, and promote greenhouse agriculture among the youth,” he said. ”This initiative will benefit approximately 30,000 young people.”
The Livestock Development Project would also be introducedto address over reliance on imported meat by restocking breeder farms to increase local livestock production, create jobs and boost self-sufficiency.
Other strategic interventions to enhance productivity and sustainability in the fisheries sector include intensified surveillance and monitoring operations, bolstered by the deployment of modern technology; expanding the supply of subsidised premix fuel to support artisanal and industrial fishers, and promoting aquaculture development to increase local fish production.
“We will also invest further in modern fish landing sites and cold storage facilities to improve post-harvest handling, reduce losses, and enhance the quality of fish products,” President Mahama said. “Our commitment to supporting women in fisheries remains steadfast as we implement programmes to empower female fish processors and traders with financial resources and capacity-building initiatives.”
Source: GNA
