The Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah, has launched the government’s School Farm Initiative, a flagship programme designed to transform schools into centres of agriculture, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Speaking on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama at the launch in Accra on August 29, 2025, Debrah said the initiative seeks to shift perceptions of farming from a “last resort” activity to a dignified and competitive enterprise.

“We are not just planting crops; we are planting the seeds of self-reliance, creativity, and entrepreneurship in our young people,” he stated.

Government to establish farms in all Senior High Schools – Agric Minister reveals

He urged heads of schools to abolish the use of weeding as a form of punishment for students, warning that it undermines efforts to build positive attitudes towards farming.

“When a child is punished with weeding, the child grows up associating farming with shame or suffering. Let children see farming as innovation, not punishment,” Debrah stressed.

Outlining the structure of the initiative, he said government will provide enabling policies and national coordination, while the Ghana Education Service (GES) is expected to integrate agriculture into everyday teaching.

The GETFund will invest in infrastructure, National Service personnel will offer technical support, and teachers and parents will mentor students to embrace farming as a viable career path.

Describing the programme as a legacy project, Julius Debrah recalled Ghana’s past under General Ignatius Kutu Acheampong’s “Operation Feed Yourself” campaign, when agriculture captured the imagination of children nationwide.

“We can do that again,” he declared.

Secondary schools will establish farms if I'm approved as agriculture minister - Eric Opoku

He called on parents, teachers, and students to embrace the initiative not only as government policy but as a movement of national pride and food security.

“If we succeed, we will not only secure food for our nation but build a generation of young Ghanaians who see agriculture as a source of pride, prosperity, and power,” the Chief of Staff concluded.

MA