Economist: Planting for food and jobs can be a game changer
Daniel Ameteye Anim is optimistic the PFJ could help Ghana deal with the issue of food shortages and also create jobs
Daniel Ameteye Anim, an economist has reiterated the need for the government to invest more in the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme to reduce dependence on importation.
Anim is optimistic this could help Ghana to address food insecurity and also create jobs.
Speaking on The Asaase Breakfast Show on Monday (22 August ) Anim said: “I have advised severally that we must see the Planting for Food and Jobs as a very progressive initiative and invest heavily into that.”
“By now we should be looking at setting up, drip silos across the region and making investments into that policy, so once we have food sustainability, food security, you have solved 50% of the problem,” Anim said. “Because as we produce more we create jobs along that value chain.”
“Another thing that we need to do is deliberately focus on critical sectors where we have the competitive edge like rice.”
He believes achieving food security will lessen imports and subsequently help stabilise the Ghanaian cedi.
Listen to Daniel Ameteye Anim in the attached audio below:
About PFJ
Planting for Food and Jobs is a flagship agricultural programme 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.
Fred Dzakpata
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