'PLANTING FOR FOOD & JOBS' TO COST $215M THIS YR

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Government will spend an amount of 215 Million Dollars on the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ programme this year alone.

 The Government of Ghana has already provided for 140 million, 137 thousand and 94 Dollars of the amount with Development partners and the private sector expected to help address more than 74 Million Dollar financing gap. 

The Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, disclosed this at Ejura at the joint Regional launch of the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ campaign and the inauguration of the Regional and District Technical Committees for implementation of the programme.  

‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ is the government’s flagship agricultural production initiative anchored on five pillars including the provision of improved seeds, supply of fertilizers, provision of dedicated extension services and a marketing strategy.

It is a national programme starting this year with a minimum of 21 thousand, 600 farmers from all the 216 administrative districts of the country. 

It is projected to create about 750 thousand direct and indirect jobs. 

In the Ashanti region, about five thousand 900 farmers have registered to cultivate about five hectares each of the recommended food crops. 

This year, the programme will focus on five food crops which are soya, rice, maize, sorghum and vegetables. 


About three point seven million metric tonnes of farm produce worth one point-three billion Ghana Cedis is projected to be the overall tangible outcome of the Planting for Food and Jobs programme this year alone. 

The figures compare with last year’s statistics of 700 million Ghana Cedis being the value placed on the two million, 782 thousand and 44 metric tonnes created from food crops. 

For the Executive Director of the National Service Scheme, Mr. Mustapha Yusif, the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ initiative could not have come at any better time than now considering one of the innovative projects of the Scheme in the agric sector.

This is in view of the maize farm project of the Scheme at Ebuom near Ejura.



The Ashanti Regional Minister, Mr. Simon Osei Mensah, disclosed that government will spend 140 million, 137 thousand and 94 Dollars translating into 560 point five million Ghana Cedis on the implementation of the programme this year alone.

 Mr. Osei Mensah explained that government is committing this huge amount to the initiative in view of the projected substantial results.

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