The 35th Edition of the National Farmers’ Day has been launched in Accra with an assurance from government on reaping more benefits from the numerous interventions and initiatives in the Agric sector.
Speaking at the National Farmers’ Day launch, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, said the bumper harvest recorded by farmers last year was evidence of the strides initiated by government for the Agric sector.
The 2019 National Farmers’ Day would be held under the theme: “Enhancing Small Scale Agriculture towards Agribusiness Development”.
“The bumper harvest recorded last year is a clear example and not a mere coincidence as some will believe. It was indeed the dividend of the Food Crop Module, the first to be rolled out under the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ),” he said.
Touching on plans to enrol the youth into the Agric sector, the Minister said, the Ministry through its Greenhouse initiative has established training centres at Dawhenya, Akomadan and Kasoa to equip the youth with modern technological skills to encourage the production of vegetables.
The intervention, he said, was aimed at promoting vegetable production and youth entrepreneurship with prospects of high earning incomes through the export of vegetables.
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“It will also help to attain self-sufficiency in vegetable production and reduce importation with its adverse effect on the country’s balance of payment,” he said.
The Minister added that, ultimately the promotion of Greenhouse technology would give meaning to the agenda of commercializing and transforming agriculture into a modern and competitive enterprise.
Further Analysis
The Greenhouse Initiative as mentioned by the Minister of Agriculture is a laudable initiative. If successful, it can relieve a chunk of the youth unemployment burden, enhance productivity in agric sector and lastly put money in the pockets of Ghanaians.
The project ought to be publicized through effective channels such as social media and the like to reach its targets. Also, there should be ease in getting enrolled, or lets just say that there should not be barriers to entry based on political affiliations.
