Agri Local

Shai Osudoku: 310 Benefit from PFJ, Prospects Good – Director

Director of Extension Services for the Department of Agriculture in the Shai-Osudoku District of the Greater Accra region, Mr. Jonathan Nartey has disclosed that about 310 farmers together with their respective farm-hands benefitted from the first phase of the government’s ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ policy in 2017.

The Director who made the disclosure in an interview with Rite news on Friday described the exercise as successful and expressed confidence in the improvement of the sector in the coming year.

“We are rest assured that the second phase of the policy will be more successful compared to last year,” he said.

He recalled the massive devastation caused by the fall army worm which left in its trail massive destruction of the maize farms as well as the ‘ignorance’ of most farmers which he said affected the policy.

Another challenge Mr. Nartey bemoaned also bedeviled the smooth implementation of the policy included the late supply of inputs for rice farmers.

“Most maize farms were invaded by the fall army worms and also some farmers were ignorant about the policy,” he added.

According to him, the department has so far in 2018 registered 294 farmers for maize cultivation, 211 farmers for vegetable and 1,282 for rice, adding that these presented lots of job opportunities for various individuals.

On the other hand, he said inputs provided for the district included 31 bags of maize seed; 155 bags of Urea; NPK, 1310 bags; 35 sachets of tomatoes seeds and 10 sachets of pepper.

Detailing the implementation progress of the policy in the district, he said the department of Agric has also registered about 294 farmers while expecting 2000 bags of NPK and 1000 bags of Urea for maize production.

He added that 1500 bags of NPK and 380 bags of Urea were being expected for vegetable production while a further 1104 bags of NPK and 5562 bags of Urea were being awaited to be supplied for Rice Production.

The director of extension who said the DOA has recovered between 50-60% of loans granted farmers under the scheme appealed to defaulters who have refused to repay the loan granted them under the PFJ and warned that defaulters won’t be registered for the second phase of the policy.

Government has said it’s planting for Food and Jobs programme has in its first year alone created some 745,000 jobs.

The Agriculture Minister, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto said the jobs were created in the areas of input supply and distribution of surplus food resulting from the programme.

The Minister said the government was hoping to create 750,000 jobs by the time the programme is rolled out and is getting close to achieving that feat.

The Planting for Food and Jobs programme is a flagship policy of the governing New Patriotic Party.

Source: Joyce Bedeley/ritefmonline.org/jbedeley9357@gmail.com

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