The Minister of Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, has vehemently defended the government’s flagship initiative, Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), asserting that the policy has brought about a remarkable transformation in food production and a substantial reduction in imports.
In his perspective, the policy has played a substantial role in slashing rice imports from an annual 950,000 metric tons to approximately 500,000 metric tons.
During an interview on The Point of View on Citi TV, Mr. Acheampong opposed the notion that the policy has primarily been ineffective. He asserted that the production of major grains consumed in Ghana has witnessed significant yield increases since the program’s inception in 2017.
“We used to import 950,000 metric tons of rice annually, and now it’s about 500,000 metric tons. So, PFJ has halved rice imports. Presently, we produce more maize than we consume, exceed our yam consumption, and in fact, we’re the world’s largest yam exporter. We also surpass our plantain consumption.”
When questioned about the challenges poultry farmers face in accessing maize for livestock feed despite surplus production, Mr. Acheampong responded, “We’re not producing at the price that the poultry industry requires, and that’s a separate issue. Poultry farmers not being able to acquire maize at a fixed cost doesn’t signify the policy’s failure.”
“I assert with confidence that our maize production outpaces consumption in this country. The struggles faced by poultry farmers to acquire feed do not indicate the program’s failure,” Mr. Acheampong emphasized.
Planting for Food and Jobs constitutes a flagship agricultural initiative of the Government, implemented through five distinct modules.
The first module, PFJ (Crops), aims to enhance food security, ensure the immediate availability of selected food crops in the market, and create employment opportunities.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo officially inaugurated this module on April 19, 2017, in Goaso, within the then Brong Ahafo Region.