Mr. Eric Opoku, the Minister for Agriculture, has expressed worry over the importation of about $2billion worth of chicken into the country annually.
He expressed the need to encourage local poultry farming to reduce the importation of chicken into the country and save the economy some dollars to tackle development.
The Minister raised this concern when he called on Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, last Friday at the Manhyia Palace.
According to him, the NDC government was committed in putting pragmatic measures and strategy in place to boost the agricultural sector including poultry to promote economic growth, as Ghana imports over 95% of its chicken, with the annual cost exceeding $2 billion.
He stated that the government was committed in supporting local farmers and industries in the country to reduce its reliance on foreign poultry products and save valuable foreign exchange.
The Minister urged schools to embark on school gardens or farming from basic schools to universities, and assure that Schools that excel in farming will be honoured to motivate them and encourage others to follow suit in the upcoming farmer’s day.
The initiative, he said, aims to instil a culture of farming in the younger generation and develop a new generation of farmers.
According to him, the government was determined in fulfilling its campaign promise, dubbed “Nkoko Nketenkete” project, which aims to increase local bird production and reduce the importation costs.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, on his part, urged the Ministry of Agriculture to prioritise the youth in agriculture to help reduce the over reliance on food importation into the country.
According to him, agriculture plays significant role in Ghana’s socioeconomic development and also helps to reduce the cost of living of the citizenry.
His Royal Majesty emphasised that agriculture was the backbone of Ghana’s economy and that its development was crucial for the country’s economic growth and prosperity.
He noted that only the aged are currently into farming and that it was essential to make agriculture lucrative to attract the youth into food production.
He stressed the need to encourage the youth to take up farming as a viable job opportunity to improve their standard of living, while measures are put in place to support them.
He expressed readiness to avail lands for those who want to engage in farming by liaising with chiefs to release lands for farming purposes.
He emphasised the need for measures that will benefit both farmers and landowners to motivate them to release lands for farming purposes to help increase food production to enhance the country’s food security.
The Asantehene also advocated the importance of irrigation in sustaining farming, regardless of the availability of rainy water to enable farmers to farm throughout the year, without relying on rainfall for food sufficiency.
The Asantehene also called for the revival of the Operation Feed Yourself agenda, which was initiated by former Head of State, General I.K. Acheampong.
He believed that the initiative would help to promote agriculture and increase food production.
The Asantehene also emphasised the need to support small-scale farmers, who are the backbone of Ghana’s agriculture sector.
By supporting these farmers, he noted, the country could increase its food production and ensure that the country was food secure.
The government, he also noted, should provide support to small-scale farmers in the form of inputs, credit, and extension services.
By making agriculture more lucrative for the youth, addressing the challenge of land availability, encouraging irrigation, reviving the Operation Feed Yourself agenda and supporting small-scale farmers, the country could increase its food production and reduce its reliance on imports.
He urged the government, farmers, and other stakeholders to work together to ensure that agriculture had been given the attention it deserved to ensure that the sector was developed to its full potential for food sufficiency all year round.
In another development, the Agriculture Minister has visited A2 Agro Allied, a private firm that manufactures poultry feeds, which has decided to collaborate with individual farmers who can cultivate maize and soybeans to serve as raw materials for the industry to reduce the cost of feeds locally.
He disclosed that the “Feed Ghana Programme” is an initiative designed to transform Ghana’s agricultural landscape to enhance local agricultural production, minimize reliance on food imports and create sustainable job opportunities.
He underscored that with the right policies and support from the government, ministry of agriculture and partners, Ghana’s agricultural sector could thrive, contributing to the country’s economic development and food security.
