The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mission in Ghana has shown interest in supporting the Ghana Government implement its “Planting for Food and Jobs” Policy.
The commission has noted that the policy if properly implemented will be a game changer in Ghana’s Agriculture sector.
The USAID Mission Director, Andy Karas, has noted that his outfit will provide a number of support to the Agriculture ministry to aid implementation of the policy.
Speaking at the Feed-the-Future implementing partners meeting in Accra, under the theme: ‘Sustaining the Momentum to Finish Strongly’, Mr. Karas said the mission is targeting the main pillars that will hold the policy.
He added that the key areas of the project involving seedlings, fertiliser, marketing, extension and E-Agric, have similar targets with their ‘Feed the Future Project’ and would be hoping to collaborate with the ministry.
“…One of them is improving seed quality. USAID is working significantly in this area together with the ministry; specifically with Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) to improve seed varsities to improve seed labs; we have established seed labs in the Upper East and the Upper West region” Mr. Karas said.
A Representative of the Minister for Food and Agriculture and USAID Embedded Advisor, Mr Kwesi Korboe, noted how important it is for the private sector to participate in the agriculture sector.
He said as a result the ministry has agribusiness unit to facilitate the investment ideas from the private sector. He lamented the little interest the private sector shows towards the agriculture sector and said more pragmatic plans will be drafted to entice it.
