Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Ghanaian Times
Published on 2024-03-18 15:33:51
The Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in charge of Crops, Mr. Yaw Frimpong Addo, recently encouraged queen mothers in the country who are involved in agriculture to seize the opportunity presented by the Planting for Food and Jobs Phase (PFJ) Two to expand and improve their farming businesses. The second phase of PFJ 2 is specifically aimed at providing input credit to farmers to help tackle the capital and farm input challenges they face.
Mr. Addo made these remarks in Accra during the Gathering of the Royals event, emphasizing that queen mothers only needed to register their farms in their respective districts to access the facility. The focus of PFJ 2 is on ten key products including rice, maize, soy, onion, tomato, and poultry, with the goal of reducing the importation of these products into the country.
The government’s objective is to achieve food sufficiency in rice, tomato, and other key products by 2028 and decrease the importation of such products to the country by ten percent. The program, organized by Agrihouse Foundation with the theme “Seeds of Change: Cultivating Gender Equality in Agriculture and Honoring Women’s Advancement,” brought together queen mothers from across the country to discuss agriculture and share their insights on sector development.
Former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings was honored at the event for her role in women’s empowerment in the country. Additionally, a panel of eight queen mothers discussed various agricultural issues, challenges in the value chain, and showcased locally produced products and foodstuffs. Some of the challenges highlighted by the queen mothers included lack of capital, high cost of farm inputs, difficulty in acquiring land, and poor road infrastructure to farming communities.
During his keynote address, the Deputy Minister acknowledged the critical role women play in agriculture and emphasized the government’s commitment to addressing the challenges facing women farmers. He also mentioned a PFJ 2 project aimed at improving road infrastructure in food growing and farming communities.
The Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, shared that the program was initiated six years ago to engage queen mothers in meaningful dialogues and discussions to advance agriculture. The program has helped facilitate extension support services to previously unsupported communities and has made significant strides in promoting agribusiness.
The Chief of Adidome, Togbe Kwasinyi, called on the government to address challenges facing farmers to boost food production in the country. Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings expressed gratitude for the award and praised queen mothers for their contributions to food production. Nana Ama Serwaa Bonsu, President of the Queen Mothers Foundation of Ghana, highlighted the importance of the Gathering of Royals as a platform for sharing wisdom and finding solutions to agricultural challenges.
Overall, the Gathering of the Royals serves as a testament to the collective dedication of queen mothers, who are essential pillars of strength within their communities. It provides a platform for sharing experiences, exchanging ideas, and cultivating innovative solutions to address agricultural issues. The event was a success, thanks to the support of various companies and organizations.
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