In the ongoing efforts to launch the second phase of the Planting for Food and Jobs program, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia announced that the government has successfully secured over 60,000 hectares of land for the establishment of agricultural zones.
These zones will be located in the Eastern, Ashanti, Upper West, Northern, and North East regions.
Dr. Bawumia highlighted the government’s commitment to completing the development of 50,000 hectares of land in land valleys by 2024. This initiative aims to expand the cultivation of rice, soya, and maize.
Speaking at the 39th National Farmers Day Awards Night held in the Western region, he stated, “We have set ourselves ambitious but achievable targets every year of the five-year period of the programme (PFJ 2.0).”
On Monday, August 28, 2023, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo inaugurated the second phase of the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative at the University for Development Studies in Tamale.
This new phase, aimed at leveraging the achievements of the initial program, constitutes a comprehensive five-year master plan.
Its primary objective is to revolutionize agriculture in Ghana, emphasizing modernization through the development of specific commodity value chains and active involvement of the private sector.
The program also focuses on enhancing service delivery to maximize impact. Notably, it introduces a shift from direct input subsidy to intelligent agricultural financial support, providing comprehensive input credit with provisions for in-kind payment.