Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), the agricultural flagship plan introduced in April 2017 by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, is one of the commonest catchphrases used to describe the agriculture sector in Ghana today.
The program encouraged all residents to cultivate grain crops and vegetables in open places, including backyards, with an emphasis on increasing farmer yields, increasing access to markets, lowering post-harvest losses, and boosting extension service delivery.
Sector expansion
The initiative, which is supported by the late Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, former minister of food and agriculture, also aims to assure food availability and security. Over the last six years, it has been successful in achieving the highest growth rate in the industry, reaching an exceptional 8.4% in 2021.
The ministry credited the PFJ with the biggest growth since the start of the fourth republic in 1992, and the previous minister touted it as a runaway success, citing data from the Statistical Service.
Cost increases
However, the PFJ has received a lot of attention recently in the Ghanaian media for a variety of reasons, most notably the recent increases in food prices.
While many people believe that the initiative has generally been successful, others, including important stakeholders, believe that the PFJ did not function as intended.
According to those making the argument based on the high food costs, if the PFJ was effective, there ought to have been adequate food.
In order to refute that, the then-minister, Dr. Akoto, established the PFJ Markets, which were first located on the grounds of the ministry and then spread to various sites across the city and even Kumasi.
The basic idea behind the markets was that truckloads of food—particularly yam, cassava, maize, and rice—were transported from rural areas where food is produced to urban centers where the prices were even lower than those found in the open market.
dedication to PFJ
Due to the current situation, many people—farmers in particular—are anxious and waiting to see what fresh perspectives, business plans, and tweaks the new sector minister, Dr. Bryan Acheampong, will offer.
Dr. Acheampong is certain that the PFJ continues to be the sector's flagship initiative and is about to receive the attention required for expansion in order to forward the aim to overhaul and modernize agriculture in the nation.
Given the resources available, the minister is of the opinion that there is no justification for the nation to keep importing rice, chicken, and other items related to poultry.
It requires dedication and political determination to change from the unfavorable status of being a net importer to a country that values output.
Dr. Acheampong, the MP for Abetifi and a former Minister of State in the Ministries of the Interior and of National Security, is a skilled politician and business executive who is anticipated to continue the transition.
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