<\/p>\n
Former Finance Minister Dr. Kwabena Duffuor has described the government\u2019s planting for food and jobs as an initiative with good potential but poorly executed.<\/p>\n
He told host Julius Caesar Anadem on Ultimate FM\u2019s Cup of Tea that while empowering small-scale farmers was a positive move; the program could have achieved much more if it had included the private sector, public agencies, and commercial farmers.<\/p>\n
Dr. Duffuor argued that \u201cfarming is the backbone of Ghana\u2019s economy and should be driven by innovation and modern techniques.<\/p>\n
\u201cInputs must lead to higher output if there is sound management. But if the output is nothing to write home about, then it raises questions,\u201d he said.\u201d<\/p>\n
He further criticized the program for failing to deliver meaningful improvements in productivity and farmers\u2019 incomes.<\/p>\n
\u201cFarmers work so hard, but their incomes remain low because they are not being supported enough,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf productivity were higher, their incomes would grow. Proper use of inputs should lead to better outcomes, but that hasn\u2019t been the case,\u201d the former Finance Minister added.<\/p>\n
The Nana Akufo Addo administration spent GH\u00a22.9 billion on its flagship planting for food and jobs program between 2017 and 2023 alone.<\/p>\n
The government of Ghana allocated GH\u00a23.3 billion to the second phase of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) program, also known as PFJ 2.0.<\/p>\n
The program aimed to ensure Ghana\u2019s food security in grains like rice, maize, soya, and sorghum; Plantain, roots, and tubers like cassava and yam, as well as Broiler production and processing.<\/p>\n
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