A year ago
Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the previous minister of food and agriculture, listed seven actions the nation must do in order to hasten the process of total transformation.
The interventions, according to him, included political will, a change in governance structure, research and development, strengthening of inputs and market systems, and human resource development. He described them as the new paradigm shift and critical factors.
Speaking at a public lecture on "Future of the economy of Ghana: Changing agriculture for prosperity of all" at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) in Accra yesterday was Dr. Akoto, the longest-serving Minister of Agriculture the nation has ever had.
In the medium to long term, he continued, "I firmly think agriculture will raise Ghana out of poverty and assure us not just of food and nutrition security, but also produce the necessary resources for the development of the other sectors, including industry, health, education, and infrastructure.
With a brass band playing in the background and cheers of "Adwumawura" and "Mr. Planting for Food and Jobs," the former minister entered the UPSA Auditorium.
Colors The largest auditorium in the nation, the UPSA Auditorium, was transformed into a sea of the New Patriotic Party's signature red, blue, and white (NPP).
Several NPP veterans attended the ceremony, which was presided over by Alfred Boye, a former acting Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the party.
In the 1980s, Dr. Akoto worked as a consultant for the World Bank, an organisation of the United Nations, on soft commodities like cocoa, coffee, and sugar. He recently resigned as the minister of agriculture to pursue his goal of leading the NPP in the 2024 elections.
He told tales illustrating the current state of Ghanaian farmers and provided anecdotes and figures to show how successfully the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) initiative had been implemented.
He, however, added that there remained space for development.
He stated between 2017 and 2021, government expenditure on improved seeds and fertiliser amounted to GH¢2.6 billion, saying that "to reap the advantages from such investments, we must further engage in the education of farmers".
For abundant and affordable food as well as high value export, he continued, "there is a need for a new business model, value addition, and effective stakeholder engagement, including the youth, smallholder farmers, and large-scale farmers.
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