The Chairman for the Agric Sub Committee of the Yilo Krobo Municipality and Assemblyman for the Obawale Electoral Area, Mr. John Djornabua Dongotey has said that the introduction of the planting for food and jobs programme has curtailed the migration of the youth from his electoral area (Obawale) to the city.
The Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme is a Government of Ghana (GoG) designed and implemented programme aiming to promote growth in food production and create jobs across the country.
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday, April 19, 2017, launched the “Planting for Food and Jobs” programme at Goaso, in the Brong Ahafo Region.
Mr. Djornabua asserts that though the Obawale electoral area and its environs are farming communities, the lack of capital to afford fertilizers, insecticides and other farming inputs has led to the migration of most youth of the area to the cities to seek for greener pastures.
Speaking in an interview with Captain Adabugar during the Akuafo Sesen segment of the morning show to express his take on the impact of the planting for food and job programme in his area, the Chairman for the Agric Sub Committee praised the programme and said it has saved its area from the phenomenon of rural-urban migration.
“The programme has really saved my electoral area and its surrounding communities from the rural –urban migration crisis,” he said. “Most of the youth have come from the cities to start farming in the community and they are doing well.
The introduction of the program, he added, has also convinced most youth who hitherto left the town following complaints of the lack of capital to buy fertilizers and other farm inputs.
“Most of the youth used to complain about the lack of capital to buy fertilizers and other farm inputs but following the introduction of the planting for food and jobs together with its inputs and fertilizer subsidies and the flexible mode of payment which is very affordable, most of the youth who left for the cities have come back to Obawale and its environs to start farming and they are making a better living than hustling in the city looking for jobs,” the Chairman for the Agric Sub Committee said.
According to the government, the programme is the basis of the answer to the twin-problem of the migration of youth to city centres in search of non-existent jobs, as well as an end to the disgraceful spectacle of Ghana importing food stuffs from neighbouring countries.
Planting for Food and Jobs will be anchored on the pillars that will transform Ghanaian agriculture: the provision of improved seeds, the supply of fertilizers, the provision of dedicated extension services, a marketing strategy and the use of e-Agriculture.
Source; Prince Paul Amuzu/www.ritefmonline.org/princeamuzu667@gmail.com
