On Friday, April 29, 2022, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia cut the sod for a rubber plantation farm in Assin Nsuta, Central Region.
The 826-acre rubber plantation, which is a project of the Anglican Diocese of Accra (ADOA) and is funded by the Agric Development Bank (ADB), is projected to provide jobs for the community's young.
Vice President Bawumia, speaking at the sod-cutting event, praised the Anglican Diocese of Accra for the effort and emphasised the significant advantages it will offer to the local community and the country as a whole.
"It gives me great delight and pleasure to watch the Anglican Church in Ghana, especially the Accra Diocese, become a change agent in this day and age when we are all seeking and asking for what they can get from the government rather than what they can provide. This is, after all, the foundation of practical Bible or Christian theology and ideas - that is:
partnership with the government to assist citizens, particularly the poor and vulnerable, in coping with everyday issues "The Anglican Church, according to Dr. Bawumia.
"I'm told that a rubber plantation of this size - encompassing 826 acres of precious land - is the country's largest privately held rubber plantation."
"This will help to mitigate climate change while also providing work for many people, particularly the community's teeming jobless young."
"It's pointless to exaggerate the value of natural rubber, whose numerous advantages are widely recognised. Dr. Bawumia said that natural rubber is gathered in the form of latex, which is used to make tyres, mattresses, shoe bottoms, hot water bottles, balloons, rubber boots, seal rings, and other items.
"Making them from raw materials that can be found right here in our nation offers up a wide variety of prospects for the country, including exports."
The Vice thanked the Chiefs and people of Assin Nsuta for donating a major portion of their land for this project.
"They truly deserve our highest praise."
Dr. Bawumia also reaffirmed the government's commitment to putting the agriculture sector first, pointing out that it contributes significantly to the country's GDP.
"As we all know, agriculture contributes for one-fifth of the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It employs approximately half of the country's workforce and provides the majority of the country's poorest households with their primary source of income. As a result, measures like Planting for Food and Jobs must be prioritised in order to enhance our agricultural sector."
"As we all know, Planting for Food and Jobs is divided into five modules, with this rubber plantation aligning with four of them:
Food Crops Production and Job Creation (PFJ): When individuals work, their social standing rises, and their personal economic life improve.
Planting for exports and rural development (PERD) is a two-edged sword that brings in cash while also expanding Assin Nsuta beyond its current state.
Greenhouse Technology Villages: Research on methodology and advanced but safe methods of growing food and enjoying a healthy lifestyle."
Rt. Rev' Dr. Daniel Syivanus Mensah Torto, Lord Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Accra, said the initiative is part of the Anglican Church's commitment to Ghana's development.