District Assemblies Urged to Lead Farming Initiative

 

The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku, has urged religious bodies, schools, and Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) to actively participate in farming to help ensure food security in the country. The call was made at a press conference ahead of the official launch of the "Feed Ghana" flagship program, which aims to tackle food security challenges by boosting local agricultural production.

In his address, Hon. Opoku emphasized the Ministry’s commitment to supplementing the school feeding program and supporting institutional farming. He called on schools and district assemblies to join the initiative and leverage agriculture as a revenue-generation tool. "Under the law, district assemblies have the power to generate their own revenue, and we want them to use agriculture as a conduit for this purpose," he said. The Ministry has already directed agricultural offices to work closely with local authorities, advising on suitable crops for specific regions.

The Minister stressed the importance of collective effort in ensuring the success of the "Feed Ghana" campaign, noting that the media’s role is crucial in spreading awareness and encouraging national participation. He called on religious institutions to take an active role in the initiative, pointing out that churches should not only minister spiritually but also contribute to addressing the country’s food security by engaging in farming.

Opoku also expressed concern about Ghana’s dependence on food imports despite its agricultural potential. He questioned why the country continues to spend millions of dollars annually importing products like tomatoes from neighboring Burkina Faso when local production could meet the demand. "If India can produce onions, why can’t Ghana do the same?" he asked.

The government has already engaged with institutions like the National Service Scheme and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to ensure broad participation in the program. The Minister emphasized the importance of utilizing Ghana’s rich soil to achieve food sufficiency, feed agro-industries, and create jobs.

Hon. Opoku called for immediate action, especially in the southern sector, where the farming season has already started. He further revealed that the northern sector’s farming season will begin in May. He encouraged all Ghanaians to join the campaign and contribute to national prosperity.

In response to the growing challenges in food security, the Ministry has adopted the Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda (AETA), an initiative designed to modernize the agricultural sector. The overarching goal of the "Feed Ghana" program is to boost agricultural production, reduce food inflation, generate jobs, and increase export revenues, ensuring long-term food security for the nation.