PFJ2 can boost agricultural sector and provide food security - Prez Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo has expressed his strong belief that the second phase of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ2) can boost the agricultural sector and provide food security.

According to him the PFJ2 will raise awareness about the nation's agricultural potential and attract the much-needed investments to ensure the success of the project.

Speaking at a roundtable discussion with development partners on PFJ2 yesterday, he underscored the government's support through regulatory measures and other incentives.

Acknowledging the challenges, the Agricultural sector faces, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and global disruptions like the Russian invasion of Ukraine and climate change, President Akufo-Addo stressed the need for a strategic response and comprehensive review of the initial phase of PFJ2, which has led to a reimagining of the program's second phase.

"The second phase of the Programme for Planting for Food and Jobs is poised to continue the transformation of Ghana's agricultural landscape. We have shifted our approach from a subsidy policy to an input credit system that accommodates all participants in the agricultural value chain," he declared. "

He stated that a comprehensive approach will stimulate economic activities within the sector, generate employment, support industrialisation, boost exports, increase incomes, foster rural development, and propel overall economic growth.

“We anticipate that, by the end of the five-year implementation period, Ghana will have achieved enhanced food security, and established a strong comparative advantage in the production of diverse cash and food crops and poultry products. Additionally, we aim to leverage competitively the opportunities presented by the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA),” he said.

It could be recalled that President Akufo-Addo launched the PFJ2 two months ago, on Monday, 28th August, in Tamale, the capital of the Northern Region, which is a five-year strategic initiative, designed to accelerate the growth of the agriculture sector, in response to the exacerbated challenges it has faced, primarily due to the combined impact of recent adversities like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

However, global developments, such as climate change, have disrupted supply chains and ravaged economies worldwide, leading to fluctuations in food prices, and erosion of the resilience of food systems.