Mrs Cecilia Kagya – Agyemang Bono East Regional Director for the Department of Agriculture has hinted that the implementation of the Planting for Food and Jobs increased the Agriculture sector growth rate to 6.2 percent in 2017, 7.3%, in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
Mrs Kagya-Agyemang further explained that the purpose of the PFJ was to modernize the agricultural sector in order to improve food security, create employment opportunities and reduce poverty in the country, however sustaining it gains through stakeholder support in promoting agricultural sector activities would go a long way to mitigating poverty.
She disclosed this on Wednesday during the regional joint sector review on sustaining the gains of PFJ for a resilient national food system at Techiman the Bono East Regional capital and mentioned that the outbreak of Covid-19 and the effects of the Russian-Ukraine conflict has resulted in the high cost of fertilizer and fuel leading to limited use of inorganic fertilizer, indeed under these circumstances, it has become imperative to take actions that would sustain the gains of PFJ.
Mrs Kagya-Agyemang noted that the PFJ has come to improve food security and Foster the growth of agriculture in the country, its gains has become enormous including the abundance of food in the system.
She explained that the only problem facing the system was the prices of food and this is because there is no price control on the product due cost of production such as the cost of fertilizer and inputs in the sector.
Mrs Kagya-Agyemang encourage farmers to continue patronizing organic fertilizers since they were less costly and could also aid in promoting shifting from inorganic to organic fertilizer usage for quality crop production.
Madam Amina Waja and Mr Francis Chaa both farmers in the Sene West district urged government and its partners to support farmers in the area with agro mechanical systems such as providing tractors for ploughing and other logistics to improve farming in the area.
Mr Eric Kontomah Bono East Regional Crop officer in a presentation mentioned that the PFJ focused on growing commodities including Cereals: such as maize, rice and sorghum, Legumes: were soyabean, groundnuts and cowpea, while Vegetables: includes tomatoes, onions, pepper, cabbage, cucumber lettuce and carrot among others.
Mr Kontomah pointed out that the PFJ made great gains such as sustainability of food, increasing use of inorganic fertilizers by farmers, use of improved seeds due to climate variation, improved extension services and increased awareness and adoption, use of organic foliar fertilizers by farmers and standardization of packaging of inputs.
He called for adequate recruitment of agriculture extension officers, provision of electronic registration for farmers under the PFJ programme in the southern sector, recruit adequate staff to safeguard the distribution of the inputs to Farmers at the various sales point in the districts and improving the road network in the region to improve agricultural development.
Source: Modern Ghana
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