Planting for food and jobs is a governmental campaign which is helping to increase food production and promote farming as a noble profitable business to reduce food importation and increase export to create jobs.
The programme which was launched in April 2017 by the president, HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, had advantages and disadvantages for its members. After a careful review of the policy, the government of Ghana through the Ministry of Agriculture has introduced the phase two of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ2.0) which seeks to address some of the challenges which were faced in the first phase, to inform and help farmers take right decision with the help of an Aggregator, who is going to make sure farmers acquire what it takes to have a bountiful harvest. The PFJ2.0 is there to help the farmer right from acquiring the necessary documentation for a piece of land.
The ministry after launching the programme instructed all the Metropolitan, Muynicipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) across length and breadth of the country to organize a days’ workshop to educate the staff on the PFJ2.0, it’s benefits and how to access it on the internet through the GHAAP website.
The PFJ 2.0 programme is a shift from direct input subsidy to a smart agricultural Input Credit System, linked to structured market arrangements. The programme will be implemented over a period of five years and will adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach to increase the availability and access to improved inputs, mechanization and extension services as well as output markets.
The programme is anchored on four main principles Value chains, Private sector focus, Market driven and Inclusivity. Under PFJ 2.0, eleven commodities have been prioritized for promotion and development of the agricultural sector. The commodities are Grains (maize, rice, soybean, sorghum); Vegetables (tomato, pepper, onion); Roots and tubers (cassava, yam); and plantain Poultry (broilers)
The overall goal of the PFJ 2.0 programme is to transform and modernize agriculture in Ghana through the development of selected agricultural value chains with active private-sector participation by promoting sustainable agricultural practices and ensuring that the country’s food supply is not only sufficient but also resilient in the face of shocks such as natural disasters or pandemics.
