In line with Government’s unwavering commitment to industrialisation, the implementation of the flagship One District One Factory (1D1F) Initiative is on course, Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta has said.
According to him, as of June 2023, 126 factories were operational nationwide, creating over 160,000 direct and indirect jobs, “especially for the youth who have been mobilised to establish agro-processing factories in 58 districts.”
The minister said this during the presentation of the 2023 mid-year budget review.
He also touched on the Planting for Food and Jobs programme, noting that it has brought substantial improvements in Ghana’s agriculture sector.
“This has resulted in increased food security, employment along agricultural value chains, and accessibility of raw materials for developing industries.
“The programme has directly contributed to increased crop yields for major food staples such as maize, rice, and soya by 135 percent, 67 percent and 18 percent respectively within the period,” he stated during his presentation.
That notwithstanding, he hinted that the government is finalizing phase II of the programme after a comprehensive review.
This, he said will “ensure a more efficient and targeted support for the agricultural sector.”
“The key elements of Phase II are Inputs Credit System, Storage and Distribution Infrastructure, Commodity Trading and Digitised Platform,” he said.
The GhanaCARES “OBAATAN PA” programme critical
Mr. Ofori-Atta further noted that efforts are far advanced toward promoting commercial agriculture, building technological capability, and advancing digitalisation under the GhanaCARES programme are on track.
“Last year, I indicated that Government is spearheading the Economic Enclaves Project (EEP) to establish ‘growth poles’ in key locations including Kasunya (Greater Accra), Kumawu (Ashanti) and Banda (Oti Region). The approach under the EEP is to provide agriculture infrastructure and land development support to our entrepreneurial youth and the formal private sector,” he said.
And to enhance production and value-addition in the enclaves, he said the provision of ancillary services such as housing, training facilities, irrigation canals, farm roads, and electricity have also commenced.
“Mr. Speaker, it is gratifying to note that the domestic private sector has responded positively to the provision of these services. About ten (10) medium and large-scale enterprises with experience in the commercial agriculture space have applied to play diverse roles, ranging from anchor farmers to machine and equipment services, in the EEP site in Kasunya,” he said.
