President Akufo-Addo has announced that government as part of the ‘Ghana Cares Obaatanpa’ programme, is creating an agricultural land information bank. The bank, he revealed, will enable landowners lease their lands to potential investors.

According to him, this will help address challenges associated with land searches for farming and other investment purposes, as well as reduce related costs.

Speaking at this year’s National Farmers’ Day celebration which was marked today, December 3, 2021, in Cape Coast, President Akufo-Addo noted that this has become crucial owing to challenges investors continue to face with respect to accessing agricultural land. This, he explained, is due to the “unfortunate multiple land tenure arrangements and the absence of satisfactory documentation on land titles”.

“As part of the Ghana Cares Obaatanpa programme, the government is creating an agricultural land information bank which will enable landowners to put forward lands they intend to lease to investors”
President Akufo-Addo

This year’s celebration is under the theme: ‘Planting for food and jobs – Consolidating food systems in Ghana’.

Consequently, President Akufo-Addo disclosed that a framework for subsidy on loans granted to agribusinesses is within the plans of government. The target, according to the President, is to support the farmers with affordable financing to produce 5 million broiler birds equivalent to 10,000 metric tonnes of meat by the end of this month of December.

“A framework is being developed to provide a 50% interest rate subsidy for loans advanced to qualified agribusiness by financial institutions. This will be extended to qualified farmers to expand poultry production operations for hatchery and processing plants”.
President Akufo-Addo

Fisheries ministry to celebrate national festival

On her part, Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hawa Koomson, revealed that the Ministry will establish a National Fish Festival. She intimated that the festival will be in celebration of International Fisheries Day. Madam Hawa Koomson noted that the celebration is expected to display the fisheries and aquaculture sector of the country as a formidable and thriving sector and position the sector as a leading avenue for investments, one which will provide opportunities for employment, value addition and wealth creation.

“Beginning next year, the Ministry will institute the national fish festival to commemorate the celebration of international fisheries day as done in other countries. It is the expectation of the ministry that such an event will offer the platform to showcase the fisheries and aquaculture sector.”
Madam Hawa Koomson

The Fisheries minister emphasized that her outfit will contribute to the development of the country while ensuring government achieves its Sustainable Development Goals. Madam Hawa noted that the fisheries and aquaculture sector as a segment of Ghana’s food system alone employs an estimated “3 million people” along the value chain.

“The sector also provides about 60% [protein needs] of Ghanaians and on the average 200 million dollars in export of fish and fishery products annually. It also contributes approximately 1% to GDP as well as $1 billion in revenue. The importance of the sector to Ghana’s food system, therefore, cannot be underestimated”.
Madam Hawa Koomson