Planting for Food & Jobs

Planting for Food and Jobs is a flagship agricultural Campaign of the Government, with five (5) implementation modules. The first module PFJ (Crops) aims to promote food security and immediate availability of selected food crops on the market and also provide jobs. This module was officially launched by H. E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo at Goaso on April 19, 2017 in the then Brong Ahafo Region.

The five Modules are:

• Food Crops (PFJ)
• Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD)
• Greenhouse Technology Villages (3 Villages)
• Rearing for Food and Jobs ( RFJ)
• Agricultural Mechanization Services (AMSECs)

In Ghana, the food crops subsector is dominated by smallholder farmers whose cropping practices are characterized by:

1. inadequate use of productivity – enhancing technologies,
2. low use of quality seeds and fertilizers
3. weak market linkages.

These collectively hinder growths in farm productivity. In response, the Government through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) initiated the first flagship module– Planting for Food and Jobs(PFJ) campaign in 2017.

TENETS OF THE CAMPAIGN:

Motivate farmers to adopt certified seeds and fertilizers.

• Empower the beneficiaries with knowledge and skills to maximize the benefits of used subsidizedinputs.
• Improve the marketability of the increased food produced under the campaign through
• Strong linkages among producers, aggregators, public institutions, private food and feedenterprises.
• Use information and communication technologies (ICT) for efficient targeting of beneficiaries of the campaign.
• Increase job opening opportunities as a result of higher levels of productivity.
• Stimulate enterprises operating along the supply chains of inputs and marketing of outputs to create jobs and develop technical and human capacities in rural and urban areas.
• Overcome food deficits, reduce importation of basic food commodities and increase exports to the neighboring countries.

Goal:

Modernize the agriculture sector of the economy in order to:

1. Improve food security
2. Create employment opportunities and
3. Reduce poverty

Objectives

• To ensure immediate and adequate availability of selected food commodities.
• To provide job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youth in the agriculture and allied sectors.
• To create general awareness for all formal workers and public institutions to farm and establish backyard gardens.
• To serve as food imports substitution.

Implementation Approach

The adopted approaches aim to:

1. Motivate farmers to use input and output markets.
2. Create employment opportunities along the commodities’ value chains.

Motivating Tools

The program focuses on providing:

1. 50% subsidy of the cost of inputs (seeds and fertilizers)
2. Complementary Services such as Extension Services and Marketing of outputs