President John Dramani Mahama has outlined the major interventions under the newly launched ‘Feed Ghana Programme’, a flagship initiative aimed at modernizing agriculture, boosting food security, and supporting economic transformation.
Speaking at the official launch of the programme in Techiman on Saturday, April 12, Mr. Mahama said the initiative is a critical component of his broader Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda (AETA), which is designed to create jobs, reduce food inflation, and improve livelihoods through sustainable agricultural practices.
He announced four key interventions under the programme:
1. Promotion of Smart Agriculture: Mahama stated that the government will establish Farmer Service Centers across the country. These centers will provide mechanization services, quality inputs, financing, market access, primary processing, and training for farmers.
Additionally, the programme will create “farm banks” or land banks in designated irrigable zones to support young agricultural entrepreneurs and boost national food production.
2. Grains and Legumes Development Project: The second intervention focuses on scaling up the production of maize, rice, soybean, and sorghum. These crops will be cultivated for local consumption, agro-processing, and export.
Special emphasis will be placed on sorghum due to its potential as a raw material for the brewing industry. The project will also support the feed industry, which is essential to poultry and livestock production.
3. Vegetable Development Project – ‘Yiridya’: To reduce vegetable imports from neighboring countries, the programme will promote controlled environment farming using greenhouse technology, as well as urban and peri-urban agriculture.
Mahama encouraged schools and households to establish vegetable gardens to grow tomatoes, onions, garden eggs, okra, and peppers. He recalled the success of past initiatives such as “Operation Feed Yourself,” highlighting how backyard gardens once played a key role in household food security.
“We will encourage community gardens to enhance nutrition and household incomes,” he said.
4. Institutional Farming: The final component aims to engage schools, especially senior high schools with available land, in crop and livestock farming. The goal is to improve the quality of meals served to students and reduce food costs.
Institutions will be supported to raise livestock such as goats, sheep, and cattle to supplement the School Feeding Programme. Mahama added that the initiative will help students view agriculture as a viable and rewarding career path.
President Mahama emphasized that these interventions will revitalize the agricultural sector, enhance self-reliance, and position Ghana as a key player in regional food markets under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
—citinewsroom
