National Best Farmer: Planting for Food and Jobs is government’s best policy
Planting for Food and Jobs is a flagship agricultural campaign of the Government of Ghana with five implementation modules
The 2021 National Best Farmer, Mohammed Mashud, has described the Planting for Food and Jobs programme (PFJ) as the best policy initiative instituted by the Akufo-Addo government.
Planting for Food and Jobs is a flagship agricultural campaign by the government with five implementation modules.
Speaking to Wilberforce Asare on The Asaase Breakfast Show, Alhaji Mashud said the current challenges facing farmers, with limited supplies of fertiliser under Planting for Food and Jobs, do not show that the programme has failed.
“The Planting for Food and Jobs programme has been a very successful programme and, as a farmer, I will tout it as the best policy for the president’s government.
“Accessibility of fertilisers for the past four years has been fantastic. It is only this year we had challenges.
“We thought it is only Ghana during the time we were looking for fertilisers. But, upon reading around, we can see that it is a global problem … They say there is a shortage of nitrogen. So, even … Britain and China … are having problems with it,” he said.
Partnership model
However, the 2021 National Best Farmer says the government’s decision to subsidise fertiliser under the PFJ programme has led to smuggling of the inputs to neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso.
He wants the government to privatise the supply of fertilisers under the programme to curb the menace.
“Recently we are seeing that the subsidy programme, to some extent, is contributing to some of the challenges,” said Alhaji Mashud. “So, we are thinking … it should be left to the private sector to really bring in fertilisers and sell.
“The government can have some partnership with them: I am not saying the government should cancel the subsidy programme.”
About PFJ
Planting for Food and Jobs is a flagship agricultural campaign of the Government of Ghana and has five implementation modules.
The five PFJ modules are food crops, Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD), greenhouse technology villages, Rearing for Food and Jobs (RFJ) and Agricultural Mechanisation Services (AMSECs).
The first PFJ module (food crops) aims to promote food security and the immediate availability of selected crops on the market and also to provide jobs.
This module was launched officially by President Akufo-Addo at Goaso on 19 April 2017 in the then Brong-Ahafo Region.
Asaase Radio 99.5 – tune in or log on to broadcasts online
99.5 in Accra, 90.7 in Ho, 98.5 in Kumasi, 99.7 in Tamale, 89.5 in Tarkwa, and 106.9 in Walewale
Follow us on Twitter: @asaaseradio995
#AsaaseRadio
#TheVoiceofOurLand
