PFJ2.0 will achieve its ambitious targets — Agric Minister
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Bryan Acheampong, says the government’s target to become self-sufficient in food production within five years through PFJ Phase II is achievable.
He said with the five-year food security plan, “we believe that the trajectory we have embarked on will make us food secure and resilient by 2028”.
Dr Acheampong said that effort could only be achieved on the back of farmers, and therefore, “if we are committing December 1 and the days before that to honour our farmers then it is in the right step”.
Food security
Addressing the official opening of the National Farmers’ Day Agrifest- 2023, the minister said to achieve food security, there were a lot of actors that would help the country in that regard.
He named them as the input dealers, aggregators, farmers themselves, regional and district agriculture officers, the Fisheries Commission, fisheries department across the country and other stakeholders.
Dr Acheampong ,therefore, said it was important that the week was committed to showcasing the tools that they intended to employ to meet the food security target by 2028.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture also said AGRIFEST was part of the awareness that the ministry wanted to create so that all Ghanaians would come on board to ensure that “we march the journey together as Ghanaians for our food security and resilience”.
Agrifest 2023
A 5-Day National Agricultural Festival, Agrifest Ghana 2023, preceding the national celebrations was officially opened yesterday in Accra the exhibition is slated for Monday, 27th November to Friday, 1st December 2023, held at the Ministerial enclave in Accra.??????????
The first Friday of December will be commemorated with an Awards Night Ceremony at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), where H E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of the Republic of Ghana, will honour best-performing farmers and fishers.
A total of 15 distinguished farmers will receive recognition at the Award Night.
The theme, Delivering Smart Solutions for Sustainable Food Security and Resilience” is appropriate and relevant as it resonates with the PFJ 2.0 programme aimed at achieving food security in Ghana.
PFJ 2.0
While the PFJ programme has shown promising results in its first phase, the second phase, PFJ 2.0, is seen as a critical step towards transforming Ghana’s agriculture sector.
PFJ Phase II is expected to build on the successes of the first phase and take the programme to the next level.
The PFJ 2.0 is focused on private-sector partnerships that can help provide financing and technical support to farmers, which can improve their productivity and profitability.
This, the Minister for Food and Agriculture said, will lead to increased investment in the agricultural sector and create employment opportunities.
The success of PFJ Phase II would depend on several factors, including funding, implementation, and sustainability, Dr Acheampong intimated, saying the government therefore, had provided adequate budget to ensure that the programme was adequately funded and that resources were allocated effectively.
The programme’s implementation also needs to be efficient and effective, with a focus on reaching mechanised and commercial farmers to address their specific needs.