The Minister for Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has disclosed that the government plans to allocate $20 million to 12 chosen districts within the five Northern Regions to enhance food and nutrition security in the Northern-Savannah ecological zone.
This funding, which is a grant from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP), will facilitate the initiative.
During the project launch in Tamale, Minister Opoku highlighted that achieving transformative growth in the agricultural sector necessitates intentional efforts to address current challenges.
“Ghana’s agricultural sector, despite its vast potential, continues to encounter various obstacles that impede its capacity to foster socio-economic development, generate employment, and ensure sustainable food systems. The government acknowledges that transformative growth cannot be realized without intentional actions to boost productivity,” he remarked.
The initiative will target 12 districts across six regions: Tamale Metro, Mion, Savelugu, Nanton, West Gonja, East Mamprusi, Mamprugu Moagduri, Bawku West, Wa Municipal, Nandom, Sissala East, and Krachi East. These districts were chosen to guarantee a focused and measurable impact.
The project is anticipated to benefit at least 50,000 households, with particular attention given to 30,000 women and youth. It aims to enhance climate-smart local food production, concentrating on staple crops such as maize, rice, soybean, cowpea, and groundnut, while also promoting year-round vegetable farming through solar-powered irrigation systems. “The goal is to improve food and nutrition security, particularly for women, youth, and vulnerable groups,” the Minister clarified.
The project builds upon the successful initiatives of the Savannah Investment Program, expanding its scope, enhancing livelihoods, and contributing to the government’s vision of sustainable and resilient food systems.
Key focus areas include improving access to finance, strengthening the poultry value chain, reducing imports, and providing solar-powered small-scale irrigation and input support.
Significantly, the initiative aims to reach Senior High School farms, intending to supply 20 solar-powered boreholes to chosen schools to enhance agricultural systems and improve feeding programs.
Ali Adolf John, the Northern Regional Minister, emphasized that agricultural advancement is a catalyst for rural development and urged for joint efforts to guarantee the project’s success.
