The Minister for Food and Agriculture in Ghana, Dr. Afriyie Akoto, has indicated that the impact of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) and related interventions are evident in improved food availability; affordability; and access; which he suggests, has significantly stabilized cost of food in the country.
According to him, a major positive outcome of the PFJ intervention has found expression in substantial increases in food production which is buttressed by national production levels of serial grains and legumes at the end of the year 2020 as compared to the base year of 2016.
While he observed that cassava production has increased by 37% to 24.0 million MT from 17.0 million MT during the same period; he also said, “Maize has since recorded 78% increases from 1.72 million MT to 3.07 million MT; Rice increased by 41% from 688,000 MT to 973,000 MT; Sorghum increased by 55% from 230,000 MT to 356,000 MT; Soyabean increased by 46% from 143,000 MT to 209,000 MT; While Groundnut increased by 33% from 426,000 MT to 566,000 MT.
“For example, maize prices have substantially stabilized, reaching as low as GHC 85.00 in 2019 for 100kg bag. Again, the current price of maize reaching about GHC 158.00 per 100kg is very much comparable to 2015 average maize price of GHC 155.00.”
The Agric Minister also emphasized that the development and implementation of the second phase of the PFJ module – Rearing for Food and Jobs which focused on Poultry, Sheep, Goats, Pigs and Cattle production to improve meat production, also achieved similar positive results recounted under the Crops Module.
The Minister made these known in an answer to a Parliamentary question filed by his successor Member of Parliament for the Kwadaso constituency, Dr. Kingsley Nyarko, who wanted to know “the extent of the impact of the Government’s agricultural policies of food production and food security in the country currently.”
To further underscore the success and impact of Government’s policies on food production and food security, Ghana’s Minister for Agriculture, Dr. Afriyie Akoto, observed that foodstuffs exported to neighboring countries reached 179,300 MT in the year 2020 as compared to 61,500 MT in 2016.
“Mr. Speaker, the impact of the planting for food and jobs is also manifested by a number of factors. Among them is the sudden increase in the export and import of food commodities from Ghana by neighboring countries in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The influx of business men into Ghana and the truck loads of food items being transported across the boarders speaks volumes of Ghana as a food secure country. Indeed Mr. Speaker, the ability of Ghana to largely withstand the destructive force of the Covid-19 pandemic at all sectors is a vindication of government’s policies and investments in the agricultural sectors,” he observed.
Source: Clement Akoloh||parliamentnews360.com
