President John Dramani Mahama has introduced the ‘Feed Ghana Programme’, a transformative initiative aimed at modernizing the agricultural sector, ensuring food security, and contributing to Ghana’s economic growth.
During the official launch of the programme in Techiman on Saturday, President Mahama outlined the key interventions that form part of his broader Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda (AETA). The initiative, he stated, is designed to generate jobs, reduce food inflation, and enhance livelihoods through sustainable agricultural practices.
Key Interventions Under the ‘Feed Ghana Programme’:
- Promotion of Smart Agriculture:
President Mahama highlighted the establishment of Farmer Service Centers across the nation. These centers will provide essential services such as mechanization, quality inputs, financing, market access, primary processing, and training for farmers. The initiative also plans to create “farm banks” or land banks in irrigable zones, providing support for young agricultural entrepreneurs and boosting national food production. - Grains and Legumes Development Project:
This intervention aims to increase the production of maize, rice, soybean, and sorghum. These crops will serve local consumption, agro-processing, and export needs. Special focus will be given to sorghum, which Mahama noted is crucial as a raw material for the brewing industry and for supporting the feed industry, which is vital to poultry and livestock production. - Vegetable Development Project – ‘Yiridya’:
To reduce dependence on imported vegetables, the programme will promote controlled environment farming, including greenhouse technology and urban and peri-urban agriculture. Mahama encouraged schools and households to create vegetable gardens to grow key crops such as tomatoes, onions, garden eggs, okra, and peppers. He recalled the success of initiatives like “Operation Feed Yourself” and stressed the importance of community gardens in improving nutrition and household incomes. - Institutional Farming:
This component seeks to engage institutions, particularly senior high schools with available land, in crop and livestock farming. The goal is to improve the quality of meals served to students while reducing food costs. Institutions will also raise livestock, including goats, sheep, and cattle, to support the School Feeding Programme. The initiative will also help students see agriculture as a viable and rewarding career.
President Mahama emphasized that these interventions will help revitalize Ghana’s agricultural sector, strengthen food self-sufficiency, and position the country as a major player in regional food markets within the African Continental Free Trade Area.
