Agric Minister nominee pledges to bridge agriculture, Industry for food sufficiency
The Minister for Food and Agriculture designate, Eric Opoku, has expressed pledged to transform Ghana’s agriculture sector to achieve food self-sufficiency.
Appearing before parliament’s Appointment Committee, Mr. Opoku emphasized the need for a harmonious relationship between the agriculture sector and industry sector.
He revealed plans to integrate the “Feed Ghana Project” with the “Feed Industry” initiative, to boost agricultural productivity and industrial output.
According to Mr. Opoku, “we want to establish a strong relationship between agriculture and industry, a symbiotic relationship in nature. So that as agriculture provides the raw materials, industry will be adding value, and in so doing we generate a lot of jobs, increase productivity.”
Highlighting the alarming state of youth participation in agriculture, Mr. Opoku referred to a 2021 Heifer International report, which revealed that only 5% of the Ghanaian youth are engaged in agriculture. He described the statistic as unacceptable and pledged to make agriculture more attractive to young people. To this end, the Minister-designate said he plans to introduce strategies to create huge markets for agricultural products and promote agribusiness ventures.
One of the cornerstone initiatives mentioned was the infusion of agricultural extension services with technology and research. Mr. Opoku stated that leveraging technology would modernize farming methods and help young farmers tap into innovative solutions to enhance productivity.
According to Mr. him, “Agric extension is very important in modernizing the sector, because the extension officers serve as an intermediary between research and the farmers as they help the farmers to adopt modern techniques of farming”.
He outlined the role of school farming will play to cushion the school feeding program and encouraging homes, churches and institutions in embracing gardening. He is optimistic that such initiatives would cultivate the growth and development in the agricultural space.
Mr. Opoku concluded by reiterating his vision for a modernized agriculture sector that serves as a backbone for the nation’s economic transformation. He assured Ghanaians that under his leadership, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture would work tirelessly to attract the youth, boost production, and foster a sustainable agriculture industry interconnected with thriving industrial growth.