President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Dr. Agnes Kalibata, paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie-Akoto this week to brief him on AGRA’s support package for the country (March 2017-March 2018).
Dr. Kalibata also took the opportunity to present the final draft of a subsidy model and the strategic plan for implementing of government’s flagship “Planting for Food and Jobs” agriculture programme to the Minister
Briefing the B&FT on the meeting, AGRA (Ghana) Country Lead, Forster Boateng said AGRA is a strategic partner of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to transform agriculture in the country; and consequently, they are supporting government’s three-year subsidy progromme designed to increase the adoption of improved varieties as well as improved agro-inputs to increase productivity and create demand and opportunities for the private sector.
AGRA in that regard decided to help government develop an evidence-based plan so that stakeholders can buy in and so that government can mobilise resources
Hence, AGRA engaged technical consultants to work with MOFA and the final document is out hence, they came to discuss with the Minister after which he the Minister will make comments and validate it with their development partners, Boateng added.
Dr. Akoto-Afriyie on his part said AGRA‘s collaborative effort would enhance the realization government’s flagship agricultural programme “Planting for Food and Job”. AGRA, he observed, is providing both technical and financial support.
He reiterated that with the defeat emphatically of the army worm invasion, the programme with its 200,000 farmers out of a farmer population of five million, can look ahead to producing the expected bumper harvest designed by the programme. He indicated that plans have been devised to absorb the excess from farmers so that the issue of market access is tackled.
The Minister said that it is the vision of the President of Ghana of to transform the agricultural landscape of the country, and thereby transform the economy of Ghana, hence the programme wants to improve the adoption rate of improved agro-inputs by smallholder farmers who form the bulk of agricultural producers in the country.
AGRA was formed in 2006 in response to a call from former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who said the time had come for African farmers to wage a “uniquely African Green Revolution.”
AGRA was formed in 2006 in response to a call from former UN Secretary-General Kofi
