The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, has reflected on his appointment as opportune, arriving at a crucial juncture for Ghana’s agricultural sector.
He perceives his role akin to that of Joseph from biblical lore, who revitalized Egypt and provided relief to the Israelites.
During an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show on Citi FM, Mr Acheampong emphasized that despite concerns about the limited time remaining for the government to enact change, the focus should be on maximizing the potential of the time ahead.
He drew parallels to Joseph’s swift actions that brought about significant transformation.
Mr Acheampong underscored his commitment to President’s vision of making Ghana self-sufficient in food production over the next five years.
He highlighted the president’s directive to prioritize agriculture as a fundamental solution to the country’s food challenges, particularly addressing issues such as fluctuating food prices and heavy reliance on imports.
Furthermore, Mr Acheampong noted the president’s active involvement and support in his efforts, citing instances where the president participated in stakeholder engagements and the launch of initiatives like the Planting for Food and Jobs Phase II.
This collaboration underscores a clear mandate from the president to tackle agricultural issues head-on.
“Joseph came in within a short time and brought change and so it is not about the time left, it is about what you do with the time left,” he told Bernard Avle.
“The president was clear that we needed to push and wanted to see agric as a pillar to solve the food situation in the country and so there was a need for us to fix the different food prices and the amount of money spent on importing food into the country.
“This [my appointment] was a clear assignment that he gave me and said he would be involved in, and that is why when I was doing the stakeholder engagements, the president was there and when I launched the Planting for Food and Jobs Phase II, the president was there.”