Beginning October 10, 2024, over 800,000 farmers in Ghana’s eight drought-affected regions will benefit from food grants, according to Food and Agriculture Minister, Mr. Bryan Acheampong. The relief initiative is part of the government’s response to the recent dry spell and will provide each farmer with 25kg of rice and 100kg of maize. This effort aims to alleviate food insecurity and support the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.
Additionally, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has set up the Ghana Agriculture and Agribusiness Platform (GhAAP) to manage the distribution of grants and ensure transparency. The ministry has also deployed 3,000 personnel including 2,700 Agricultural Extension and Advisory services (AEAs) and 261 District Agric Officers (DAOs), who have been equipped with tablets to register farmers for the grants and set a target of registering an average of 12 farmers per day for the next 60 days, with the aim of ensuring no one is left behind.
At the Minister’s press briefing on measures to address the effect of the dry spell in Accra, He called on Ghanaians to rally behind the Planting for Food and Jobs Phase 2 initiative to support smallholder farmers, invest in commercial agriculture and continue to commit to an annual irrigation investment plan averaging GH¢3 billion a year over the next 10 years. “Additionally, we must invest in long-term grain storage systems, targeting a capacity increase of 100,000 metric tons per year over the next 16 years to enhance food security and resilience,” he highlighted.
To qualify, one must be a farmer and the individual alongside the farm must be fully registered on the GhAAP. Modifications have been made to allow the GhAAP to accept Voter ID cards for those affected farmers who don’t have Ghana Cards.
This initiative also aligns with the government’s broader agricultural strategy, including the Planting for Food and Jobs Phase 2, which focuses on long-term investments in irrigation and grain storage to enhance food security.
