ACCESSING PLANTING FOR FOOD AND JOBS INPUTS, CERTIFY, QUALIFIED FARMERS – MR. JORDAN SHERIFF

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has said it is intensifying measures to check and eliminate fertilizer smuggling to neighbouring and other African countries.

Among them include, all fertilizers under the modality must have the Planting for Food and Jobs Program (PFJ) logo at one side of the bag and the other side will also have information about the nutrient level and the information the company the farmers are working with.

Also copies of waybills will be given to the regional Ministers, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) who will be the first point of call when the fertilizers are sent to their respective regions and districts.

The Ministers and the MMDCEs working in collaboration with the District and Regional Directors of the Agric Ministry for the equitable distribution of the fertilizers to farmers within their area.

Fertilizers meant for farmers in the three Northern Regions will be in 25 kg weight rather than 50 kg as being done in 2018.

Contributing to the measures to end planting for food and jobs fertilizer smuggling, the Chief Executive Officer for De Jordan’s Agro and Investment Ltd, Mr. Jordan Sheriff told Rite FM Agric Forum, extension officers should be made to recognize farmers who have registered for Planting for Food and Jobs programme fertilizers and improved seeds through certificate of recognition in their communities to qualify farmers to go ahead and buy the inputs from distribution stores.

 This according to Mr. Jordan, would eradicate smuggling of fertilizers by non-farmers.

 “Farmers need to be endorsed by their extension officers before they can even join the planting for food and jobs program. Due to smuggling, the registration is very important, therefore it is the foundation and the foundation needs to be very strong,” he noted.

The Agribusiness scribe underscored the need to include traditional leaders in the fight against illegal act.

Government has budgeted GHȼ140, 930, 250.00 for the purchase of fertilizer for the year 2019.

Meanwhile, the Food and Agriculture Committee of parliament in its report observed that the allocation for 2019 to the Food and Agriculture Ministry for the purchase of fertilizer, was inadequate.

Some government appointees have been accused of supervising the smuggling of fertilizers into neighboring countries in a move that has caused losses amounting to $12 million.

The about 50,000 metric tonnes of the subsidized fertilizer was meant to be used under the government’s Planting for Food and Jobs programme.

Source: ritefmonline.org/Mac-Jerry Nyamekye