Mohammed Hardi Tuferu, Deputy Minister for Agriculture, is excited about the prospects of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ 2.0). Properly implemented, the policy could help the country reach self-sufficiency in 10 crops and poultry by 2028.
The crops are maize, rice, sorghum, soyabeans, tomato, onion, cassava, pepper, yam and plantain.
Mr. Tuferu, who doubles as MP for Nanton in the Northern Region, shared this when he spoke to A1 Radio’s Mark Smith.
The Deputy Minister stated that to ensure the targets are reached, the PFJ 2.0 features an input credit system, stressing that “it takes away the major problems of farmers, that is finance.”
He outlined the comprehensive nature of the system, which supports activities across the entire agricultural value chain. He noted that to participate, farmers are required to register as active members on the government’s platform. Notably, registration mandates possession of a Ghana card, ensuring data accuracy and transparency in the program’s implementation. “If you don’t have a Ghana card, you can’t register on our platform,” he said.
Mr. Tuferu said currently, over three hundred thousand farmers have already enrolled, with significant participation from the northern regions of Ghana. “Over three hundred thousand farmers have been registered so far, with the five northern regions topping the list.”
He added that in a move to incentivize early adoption, the government announced that the first two hundred thousand registered members would receive free input packages valued at over two thousand Ghana cedis each. Furthermore, he emphasised the importance of agriculture, stating that the implementation of Planting for Food and Jobs 2.0 signifies Ghana’s continued commitment to transforming its agricultural sector through strategic policies and targeted support for farmers.
Source: A1Radioonline.Com|101.1MHZ|Gifty Eyram Kudiabor|Bolgatanga|
