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AGRICULTURE

201,000 farmers registered under PFJ

About 201,000 farmers have so far been registered under the “Planting for Food and Jobs” (PFJ) flagship Programme which is aimed at ensuring the country’s food security and providing jobs for the teaming unemployed youth.

Date Created : 11/17/2017 8:01:32 AM : Story Author : Cliff

The programme also registered suppliers to distribute farm produce to public institutions including the School Feeding Programme, the Free Senior High School Programme, Prisons, Defense and Police, among others to ensure availability of quality food in a timely manner in these institutions.

Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta made this known when he presented the 2018 Budget on the floor Parliament yesterday.

According to Mr. Ofori Atta, government through the Agric Ministry recruited 2,160 University graduates and 1,070 youth to register and provide extension services to farmers across the country.

He said the National Buffer Stock Company has been revitalized to procure, store and distribute the outputs from the Planting for Food and Jobs and other programmes of the of the Agric Ministry, adding that “the company in collaboration with the Agricultural Development Bank registered 553 licensed buying companies”.

In other developments, the Finance Minister further announced that the government has won the fight against the invasion of the Fall Army Worm (FAW) in various farms across the country.

He said this was achieved through the distribution of adequate and effective chemicals to farmers; recruitment of spraying gangs; proper monitoring and surveillance.

According to him, the intervention help the nation to recovered over 123,232 hectares of farm lands out of 137,479ha affected, adding that strategic stock of insecticide and other logistics will be built to ensure ready availability of chemicals during outbreaks as well as intensification of monitoring and surveillance.

Meanwhile, Government as part of efforts to modernize agriculture distributed 220 tractors and accessories comprising 141 maize shellers, and 77 Multi-crop threshers to farmers and service providers.

The Ministry, will next year distribute 200 tractors and matching implements, 1,000 power tillers and walking tractors, 30 tractor mounted rippers, 10 tractor drawn rear blade, 10 tractor mounted slasher, 60 boom and orchard sprayers, 4000 motorized sprayers, 60 mechanical and pneumatic planters, 50 cereal harvesters, 200 multi-crop threshers, 400 irrigation kits (engine and solar powered sprinklers sets), and 100 green house technology for horticulture production.