H.E. John Mahama launches Feed Ghana Program with smart agriculture and institutional farming

President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E. John Dramani Mahama, has officially launched the Feed Ghana Program, a flagship government initiative aimed at increasing food production, reducing the country’s dependence on imports, and creating sustainable jobs within agriculture-related sectors.

The launch, which was chaired by the Bono East Regional House of Chiefs and Paramount Chief of Basa Traditional Area, Nana Owusu Sakyi III, took place at the Techiman Methodist School Park, in the Bono East Regional capital, where stakeholders, farmers, faith-based groups, students, and development partners gathered in support of the initiative.

In his welcome address, the Bono East Regional Minister, Francis Owusu Antwi, explained that the Feed Ghana Program is a strategic response to challenges confronting farmers across the country. He further disclosed that, if properly implemented, the program will help address the issue of rising food inflation in the country. However, he also noted that the NDC-led government has already initiated policies that are yielding results in the fight against food inflation.

“Agriculture is the backbone of our economy and its transformation holds the key to food security, economic resilience and long-term development. Nana Chaman, the Feed Ghana Program is not just a government initiative but bold strategic response to challenges confronting our farmers and the wider agricultural value chain.

“With Ghana spending over $2 billion annually on food importation and with the rising inflation of food affecting our households, the need for urgent action has never been more compelling.

“The food inflation rate stands at 27.8 as of December 2024. This runs the most fast among low-income African countries in terms of food inflation. It is refreshing to know that just in March 2025, the food inflation decreased to 22.4 % from the previous year. This indicates that the policies of the government and other relevant stakeholders are yielding the needed results.” He said.

Hon. Francis Owusu Antwi further revealed that the program is aligned with the Border Agriculture for Economic Transformation agenda and seeks to reposition agriculture as a driver for growth and prosperity.

“This flagship program is designed to modernize our agricultural system, strengthen agro-industrial linkages, and increase sustainable jobs, especially for our youth and women.

“It’s aligned with the Border Agriculture for Economic Transformation agenda, and I am confident that it will reposition agriculture as a driver for growth and prosperity through various interventions including smart agriculture, investment in grains, legumes, vegetables, revitalization of coffees and livestock sectors, and initiative financing mechanisms.

“The Feed Ghana program aims to empower farmers, attract private sector investors, and enhance productivity across board.” Hon. Francis Owusu Antwi said.

Speaking at the event, President Mahama said the initiative is centered on practical farming approaches that involve households, schools, communities and institutions. He announced four key interventions under the Feed Ghana Program: Promotion of Smart Agriculture, Grains and Legumes Development Project, Vegetable Development Project, and Institutional Farming

“Feed Ghana is a development Project, popularly referred to as Yeridua. To reduce imports from neighboring countries, we’ll invest in controlled environmental farming, including the use of greenhouse technologies and urban and peri-urban agriculture. We’ll promote schools to grow their own vegetables. We will do backyard gardening. Everybody will be encouraged to get some land near your house or behind your house and have a garden where you grow tomatoes, garden eggs, okra, onions, and pepper.” He stated.

The President urged families to cultivate small backyard gardens. He said growing common vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, garden eggs and okra at home could help cut food costs while improving diets.

Recalling the “Operation Feed Yourself” campaign of the 1970s, he noted that backyard farming was once common and could be again.

“We have done this before, for those of you who grew through the operation, feed yourself years, you will remember that your parents used to have backyard gardens, and so when you wanted to pound fufu, sometimes you didn’t have to go to the market. You just go into the garden, you pluck some garden eggs, take some pepper, some onion, tomato, and then go and make the soup and pound the fufu. We’ll encourage community gardens to enhance nutrition and household incomes.” He said.

According to the President, the fourth component of the Feed Ghana Programme is institutional farming, aimed at encouraging Senior High Schools and other institutions with available land to venture into crop and livestock farming.

“The fourth component is what we call institutional farming. We’re going to encourage not only households and communities to grow vegetables like tomatoes, pepper, garden eggs, and thereby reducing household food costs and increasing self-reliance, but we’re also going to encourage institutions such as Senior High Schools with available lands to be supported to venture into crop production and livestock farming, so to all our schools that have land available, you’re going to use some of that land for agricultural purposes.

“You’ll grow vegetables to improve the food the students in their kitchen, you have cows, goats, sheep, so that you can provide meats for our children in school. This will complement the school feeding program and encourage students to view agriculture as a viable career.” He disclosed.

H.E John Dramani Mahama also revealed that several institutions have already shown interest in the initiative.

“I’m pleased to note that the following institutions have already expressed their interest to participate in this initiative. Amongst them, we have the National Service Scheme, who are going to activate their national service farms so that national servicemen will be engaged in agriculture. Among them is the Ghana Prison Service. The Ghana Prison Service is going to activate the prison farms and use the prisoners for agricultural production. The National Youth Employment Agency is also a collaborating institution. Faith-based organizations, churches and mosques, several faith-based organizations have come to us and said that they are willing to go into agriculture and agro-processing.” He said.

President John Mahama explained that the broader goal is to help the country return to a culture of self-reliance and build a stronger food system that works for everyone, from farmers in rural areas to families living in cities.

Source: Elvisanokyenews.net

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