Pilot programme to encourage youth to go into agriculture

Sunyani, Nov. 30, GNA - Government through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture is to undertake a pilot programme to assist unemployed youths in the Brong Ahafo Region to go into agricultural production. Initially, the Ministry has acquired 800 acres of land at Branam in the Wenchi District and Ayerede in the Nkoranza District.

Mr Richard Assah Dartey, Regional Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), who announced this at a press briefing prior to the regional Farmers' Day celebration in Sunyani said beneficiaries of the programme, which would start early next year, would go into maize, soybean, cashew and cotton production.

He explained that the Ministry would plough the land and provide the beneficiaries with the necessary inputs and logistics as loan facilities for them to undertake the programme.

Mr Dartey said the beneficiaries would be encouraged to work on two to three hectares of land and the Ministry would help them to get access to ready markets, while also helping them to improve agricultural production.

Government through the Ministry would then deduct the initial loans provided to the beneficiaries and the project would then become their bona-fide property to make them self-reliant, he added. Mr Dartey said the Ministry intended to cultivate 12,000 hectares of maize in the Region to ensure national food security. He expressed regret that some traditional authorities were reluctant to release land to the Ministry to start the programme. Asked if the project was associated with the National Youth Employment Programme, the Regional Director said it was a different project initiated by government to boost agricultural productivity, while also creating job opportunities in the Region.