President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has promised to construct 1000 metric tonne-capacity warehouses across the country to store foodstuffs in each of the 216 districts in the country.
“Government intends to construct a 1000 metric tonne capacity warehouse in each of the 216 districts. The purpose of these warehouses will be to handle produce as well as to store the anticipated surpluses under the Planting for Food and Jobs campaign,” the president said at Goaso in the Brong Ahafo region Wednesday during the launch of the Planting for Food and Jobs programme.
President Akufo-Addo also stated that his government will also expand all feeder roads in rural areas and food-growing areas in the country to avoid post-harvest losses.
“In the Asian experience, the existence of a relatively extensive road network that carries fertiliser and other inputs to the farms and carries farm output to the markets has set them apart from us in Ghana.
“Government will also expand the feeder road and farm track networks and mitigate post-harvest losses and also ensure foodstuffs are available to customers.”
The Planting for Food & Jobs programme will get a $120 million (125 million Canadian dollars) investment from the Canadian government.
A deal for the release of the grant was agreed and signed between the two countries recently. Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta represented the government of Ghana while the Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana, Ms. Heather Anne Cameron, signed for her country.
The programme is akin to the Operation Feed Yourself campaign launched by the Acheampong regime in the 1970s to make Ghana self-sufficient in food supply.
The Planting for Food & Jobs programme will be operating under five main components: supply of improved seedlings, provision of fertilisers, extension services, marketing for produce, and e-agriculture.
The initiative is aimed at making Ghana self-sufficient in food production and export.
