Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the minister of food and agriculture, gave the government's Planting for Food and Jobs initiative a perfect grade.
He claims the programme has had a remarkable influence on Ghana's agricultural industry and is optimistic that it will continue to produce outstanding outcomes in the years to come.
The Minister said that the policy had an immense influence on Ghanaians' attitudes toward farming and agriculture in general during an interview with JoyNews' PM Express.
"Its influence is transforming people's mindset and attitude toward agriculture," he claimed. It is indescribably valuable. You'll need to visit the field to observe how many young, professional individuals are now entering it.
According to him, more specialists from many sectors and young people have entered the agricultural and agri-processing industries since the policy's adoption.
He gave an illustration from his eight-day trip across Ghana's forested areas, saying, "On Saturday within a matter of two hours, I met two farmers who are medical physicians who have quit and have gotten into agriculture on a full-time basis.
"One of them is running a coconut plantation with all kinds of intriguing coconut-derived items. The other was near Asamankese, farming 5 acres of corn, cassava, and other crops with his mother and family.
I met two medical professionals who had quit their jobs and were now working in agriculture full-time in less than two hours.
He continued, "Last year, when we went to Ejura, I had a forum for farmers, and this lady stood up and said look, now it's not just us, teachers, medical professionals, nurses, everyone is coming into the field to plant, and it's thanks to Planting for Food and Jobs in changing the psychology of people's attitudes toward farming and a lot of people are moving into agriculture."
The agriculture minister continued by saying that despite its difficulties, Ghana's Planting for Food and Job strategy has allowed the country's agricultural sector to lead all countries in the ECOWAS region.
He claims that despite the Covid-19 problems, the agricultural industry would increase at a rate of 8.4 percent in 2021.
"And it's very obvious, you see, I'm the chairman of the ECOWAS Ministers for Food and Agriculture because our President is the Chairman of ECOWAS, and I've had two zoom meetings with my colleagues in the region, and that's where you come to see the impact of government policy, Akufo-policy Addo's of Planting for Food and Jobs," he continued.
"We're in a far better place than...
When they talk about their parameters, restrictions, and challenges, I don't even see which country they are referring to. Of course, we have challenges as well because food prices are very high. However, it is oversimplified to say that the government's agricultural policy is to blame for the high prices of food.
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