The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has stepped-up efforts to distribute farm inputs, as the farming season is far advanced.
The move is to enable farmers undertake their farm enterprises to enhance productivity.
According to the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Bryan Acheampong, government has been working tirelessly to ensure effective distribution of farm inputs to farmers for the 2024 agriculture season.
The effort aims to boost production, improve efficiency and adapt to the challenges posed by climate change. PFJ 2.0, unlike the previous edition, introduces an input credit system which is a new feature designed to support farmers in accessing essential inputs.
The programme also provides grants to vulnerable farmers, including female-headed households, elderly farmers, farmers with disabilities and smallholder farmers with limited access to input resources.
Dr. Acheampong indicated that under the programme, vulnerable farmers will receive a package of inputs including three 50kg bags of NPK fertiliser, one 50kg bag of urea fertiliser and one 10kg bag of maize seeds.
In addition to the input grant for vulnerable farmers, the PFJ 2.0 programme will also provide grants to the first 200,000 farmers who are fully registered on the Ghana Agricultural Agribusiness Platform (GhAAP). These farmers will receive two 50kg bags of NPK fertiliser, one 50kg bag of urea fertiliser and one 10kg bag of maize seeds.
Furthermore, the ministry has announced a special initiative to support farmers affected by recent dam spillages in the Volta and Eastern Regions. The US$40million Food Systems Resilience Programme will provide farmers with inputs including fertiliser, agrochemicals, seeds and other essential agricultural products.
The minister urged all farmers who have not yet registered on the GhAAP platform to do so through the website www.ghaap.com or contact their district agriculture departments. He also encouraged those who have challenges requesting inputs on the platform to contact their district agriculture departments for assistance.
The PFJ 2.0 programme is built upon five strategic elements, including an input credit system, storage and distribution infrastructure, off-take arrangements or commodity trading, a digitised platform and line of sight management and coordination.
Government’s commitment to agriculture is evident in its efforts to improve the sector’s productivity and contribution to food security. With the launch of PFJ 2.0, farmers can look forward to increased access to essential inputs, improved livelihoods and a brighter future for Ghana’s agricultural sector.
The ministry has engaged district agriculture departments and focal persons to ensure smooth distribution of inputs without delay. For effectively monitoring the distribution process throughout the country, the sector minister has assigned the two Deputy Ministers of Agriculture, Yaw Frempong Addo and Mohammed Hardi Tufeiru, to oversee and ensue that farmers receive these inputs timely. All inputs have been successfully moved to the farming communities
“MoFA has emphasised that the programme is not only a response to immediate needs of our farmers but also a long-term investment in Ghana’s agricultural sector. The ministry believes that by providing support to farmers, Ghanaian agriculture will be stronger and more resilient,” said Dr. Acheampong.
