Gov’t to employ 2,700 Agric Extension Officers. ………Hon. Dr. Afriyie

 

The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has hinted that 2,700 agric extension officers will  be employed by the government this year.

The recruitment is to beef up  the sorrow state of extension agents in the country. He said currently the extension agent to farmer ratio in Ghana  is sorrowful.

He also disclosed that through the support of the Canadian government, 216 new pick- up vehicles is  being distributed  to existing extension officers nationwide to help make their work effective and vibrant.

The Minister made the disclosure when he took his turn at the weekly based “Meet The Press ” series of the Ministry of Information in Accra to address  a cross section of the media on his Ministry’s programmes.

The interaction was anchored on  the Ministry’s performances and challenges as well the way forward ,  since he assumed office as the political head of the Food and Agric  (MOFA ) machinery of the NPP government.

Hon. Akoto Afriyie Osei noted that the yet to be recruited agic extension officers will also be provided with motor -bikes to be used in conducting their work.

” In fact speaking to you now 3,000 newly imported motor-bikes have been procured and  are ready at the ports for delivery  by the Ministry” he emphasised.

He also bemoaned the low rate at which Ghanaian farmers produce and that the government is determined to ensure there’s a permanent transformation chain in terms of productivity by the farmers.

The objective of the Nana Addo led government, Dr. Afriyie Akoto explained is  to reach a double digit growth within the four years mandate they were given.

He confidently said that with the current trends as exhibited last year, Ghana is getting there and was hopeful we accelerate beyond the set targets.

He questioned why Ghana spent much money to import food stuff that we can produce here taking into consideration our vast fertile and arable lands stretched across the country.

For instance, he mentioned that over one billion USD is used to import rice into Ghana through the respective ports of Tema and Takoradi over the years.

He however, revealed that  the amount has reduced last year and was upbeat the importation of products that can be produced here would reduce drastically and subsequently  eliminated in the coming years.

“We have fertile lands to grow and feed ourselves and that we are determined to stop the importation of such foods “the Minister pointed out.

He also touched on the problems of the fulani herdsmen in other parts of the country.

He said the fulanis  are great resources to Ghana’ s Agric sector but a lot of us don’t know.

They are the best cattle rearers that we have to take advantage of and collaborate to end the hostilities.

To this end, he announced the innauguration of the Ghana cattle Ranching Project to mitigate the problem between the fulani herdsmen and the local farmers.

The Project led to the establishment of four fodder banks at Kwahu , in the Afram Plains North and South Districts respectively.

The ongoing Projects according to the Minister will ensure that all the cattle are camped at one place for grazing which will bring to an end the incessant hostilities between the herdsmen and the farmers.

There is also another fodder bank which is nearing completion at Wawase to be used as a pilot grazing reserve and will be replicated nationwide, the Minister noted.

Dr. Afriyie further observed that there had also been  a formation of the transhumance committee in all regions to oversee the establishment of grazing reserves ( fodder banks and feedlots) at strategic locations.