The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto has revealed his outfit will employ additional 2,700 Agriculture Extension Officers to offer qualitative advice to farmers across the country.
According to him, he had made a strong case for the recruitment of more extension officers and would push cabinet to ensure it.
“This year I will push to Cabinet to ensure that additional 2,700 officers are recruited so they could cater for the needs of farmers across the country.”
Dr Akoto made this known when he took delivery of 50 double-cabin pick up vehicles to aid agricultural operational and extension activities in six new regions and districts.
The presentation
The Agric minister received the keys to the vehicles on behalf of the regions and districts. The 50 vehicles would help newly created regions and districts to deliver effective and timely agricultural services to all farmers. The vehicles, worth over GH¢10 million, were procured through Canada’s support under the Modernizing Agriculture in Ghana (MAG) programme.
Dr. Akoto said due to the COVID-19 pandemic, his outfit has successfully negotiated for an additional year of no cost extension. As a result, pushing the programme end-year to 2022.
“If agriculture in Ghana would be modernized and transformed, then farmers must benefit from extension services in the form of knowledge transfer, guidance and advice in the application of modern technology…”
Also, Dr. Akoto urged the beneficiary institutions to use the vehicles for their intended purposes.
“It is your obligation to develop a strict maintenance regime with the use of a log book for easy tracking and evaluation of the use of the vehicles by auditors.
“It is important that you take measures to prolong the life span of the vehicles to achieve the desired results.”
Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, Agric Minister.
Meanwhile, Ms. Kati Csaba said Canada recognized that the agricultural sector continued to hold great potential for reducing poverty and inequality in Ghana.
“That is why we are providing Can$125 million of assistance directly to the government of Ghana to help modernize the agricultural sector through the MAG programme.”
Ms. Kati Csaba is the Canadian High Commissioner to Ghana who handed over the vehicles.
MAG Programme
To clarify, the programme seeks to strengthen extension services to farmers and establish market linkages for farmers. Also, it seeks to create the enabling environment, employing auditing, monitoring and evaluation tools for optimum results.
According to Ms. Csaba, in the first four years of the implementation of MAG, there had been an increase in the adoption of relevant, productivity-enhancing technologies by both female and male farmers in Ghana. In addition, she said Ghana had witnessed increased empowerment and self-reliance among women in the agricultural sector.
Commitments
Furthermore, Mr. Csaba noted that more work needs to be done through Ghana and Canada’s partnership.
“We will continue to make progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals of poverty reduction, zero hunger, gender equality…”
Ms. Kati Csaba, Canadian High Commissioner
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