The government’s prominent initiative, the Planting for Food and Jobs Programme (PFJ), is undergoing evaluation, paving the way for the commencement of its second phase, which aims to incorporate the participation of the private sector.
Consequently, the government has temporarily halted its subsidies on fertilizer and other agricultural inputs until the review process concludes, according to Dr Hafiz Bin Salih, the Regional Minister for Upper West.
However, despite this, significant quantities of fertilizers and various other agricultural inputs have been transported to the region and are readily accessible in the open market this year for the benefit of farmers.
Dr Bin Salih said the role of the government in the phase two of the PFJ programme would be to focus more on the private sector to deliver the farm inputs at subsidised prices.
The Regional Minister made this known at the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council’s meeting in Wa with municipal and district chief executives, district coordinators, presiding members, heads of departments, institutions and agencies to discuss pertinent issues, especially government’s interventions and their impact on the wellbeing of the people.
He said information from the Regional Directorate of the Department of Food and Agriculture indicated that many farmers who cultivated large hectares of farmlands could not complete their planting due to the erratic nature of the rainfall pattern, which succeeded in shortening the planting window for this year.
“As a result, the land size cultivated this year had reduced. However, from close observation of the performance of the crops, food security would be assured”, he said.
He said for the past four years, many agriculture extension officers had been recruited to help improve the staffing situation of the department, and they had been deployed to the fields for every farmer to access advisory services.
The Regional Coordinating Council per Article 255 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, mandates the House to meet at least twice yearly to share ideas, advise on issues and take the right and appropriate decisions that would benefit the people.
The various assemblies presented reports on infrastructural development, security and government’s social and economic interventions on the living conditions of the people in the communities.