The policy aimed at the establishment of commercial farms in all garrisons throughout the country, has been dubbed, “Ghana Armed Forces: Our Quota in National Food Production”. It will focus on the cultivation of food and cash crops, livestock production, fish farming and afforestation.
Speaking at the re-launch ceremony at the Second Batallion of Infantry (2BN) Barracks at Apremdo, near Takoradi on Friday, the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Rear Admiral Mathew Quarshie, said the policy was a re-activation of farming activities which were undertaken by the military during the early 1970’s under the “Operation Feed yourself” (OFY) policy.
He said under this new policy, all fallow lands in the various units across the country would be cultivated and the farms modernised into enterprises to be managed by committees.
Rear Admiral Quarshie said each unit would solicit the assistance of experts such as agricultural extension officers, soil and weather scientists, veterinary offices and marketers to adopt suitable agricultural practices to maximize production and find market for the produce. “The Military High Command will also play its part by collaborating with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to assist in the procurement of implements and materials such as spraying machines, tractors and fertilizers to units which will demand them,” he said. “We will also put mechanisms in place to monitor agricultural activities and assess performance at the end of each season” he added.
Rear Admiral Quarshie said that the High Command had already set aside a package for the best performing units in this year’s Food and Animal Fair programme which is scheduled for November.
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