According to the acting Executive Director of the National Service Scheme (NSS), Ussif Mustapha, this was to promote the President Akufo-Addo’s vision of transforming the agricultural sector in the country.

[contextly_sidebar id=”cmrRX828JqNjXXto1J0C0NcKwoOtwIpT”]The Planting for Food and Jobs program is one of the government’s flagship programs aimed at improving agricultural production in the country.

The program government is expected roll out the program in all 216 districts of the country and will involve the supply of farm resources such as high yielding and improved seedlings to participating farmers.

The farmers will also get agrochemicals such as fertilizer at reduced prices.

The government said the program will create some 750,000 jobs and would motivate farmers to grow staple foods such as maize, millet, and beans.

Before the deployed personnel commence work on September 1, the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana has cast doubt on their ability to do a good job and has said their engagement for extension services as part of the ‘Planting for Food and Job’ program will make the program unsuccessful.

The Programme Officer for the Association, Charles Kwowe Nyaaba, in a Citi News interview said, “The approach of recruiting extension service personnel to help in the programme is wrong. If you go to the Ministry of Agriculture at the district level, you have the extension officers there who are not able to visit farming communities because of lack of logistics. You leave all these people hanging there and you say you are bringing National Service personnel to train them to go and train the farmers. At the end of the day, if you don’t take care, they would rather go and be learning from the farmers and that is not going to give us the impact that we are looking for.”

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post NSS: Over 2,000 personnel deployed for ‘Planting for food and jobs’ policy appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The government recently launched the program to boost food security and create jobs in the country.

Nashiru in a Citi News interview urged the association’s members nationwide to collaborate with the government to improve agriculture to support efforts to turn around the fortunes of the sector.

“We thank government for bringing back such a laudable initiative and we are urging all our members nationwide to register and participate in this laudable initiative,” he said.

Mohammed Adam further debunked claims by the program officer of the association, Charles Nyaba, that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) did not consult the Association before reintroducing the program.

Mohammed Adam Nashiru who is the Northern Regional Focal Person of the association urged all registered members to disregard Charles Nyaba’s claim, noting that, “In recent past we have heard on air a staff of the association by name Charles Nyaba telling the whole world that MOFA did not consult the association before coming out with the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative which some of us see as unfortunate. Unfortunate in the sense even at the regional level here I am a member of the Metro Planting for Food and Jobs committee.”

He maintained that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture followed due process before formally launching the program.

“A lot of us have registered with the regional MOFA offices regional wise to participate in the Planting for Food and Jobs initiative and so if an officer who sits in Accra comes to make such a statement without consulting the farmers is unfortunate and that shows that the said officer is not in touch with farmers on the ground.”

Mohammed Adam Nashiru tasked the board of the Peasant Farmers Association, Ghana to call Charles Nyaba to order.

“This is not the first time the said officer has used platforms to condemn government in the past and recent which I feel is not good for us because our aim is to collaborate with government to look at ways of improving agriculture both  locally and internationally.”

“I will want to use this opportunity to urge the Board to take a look at his statement and let the said officer know that he is working for farmers and not for himself.”

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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Gov’t commended for ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ program appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.