Serving My Nation With Passion

Planting for Food and Jobs is a flagship agricultural Campaign of the Government of Ghana.

It was officially launched by H. E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo at Goaso on April 19, 2017 in the then Brong Ahafo Region.

The campaign has (5) modules. They include:

• Food Crops (PFJ)
• Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD)
• Greenhouse Technology Villages (3 Villages)
• Rearing for Food and Jobs ( RFJ)
• Agricultural Mechanization Services (AMSECs)

The food crops subsector in Ghana is dominated by smallholder farmers whose cropping practices are characterized by:
       I. inadequate use of productivity – enhancing technologies
       II.low use of quality seeds and fertilizers
       III.weak market linkages.

These practices, collectively hinder growths in farm productivity.
In response to these challenges, the Government through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) initiated the first flagship module– Planting for Food and Jobs(PFJ) campaign in 2017.

TENETS OF THE CAMPAIGN

The tenets of the initiative are to;

• Motivate farmers to adopt certified seeds and fertilizers.
• Empower the beneficiaries with knowledge and skills to maximize the benefits of used subsidizedinputs.
• Improve the marketability of the increased food produced under the campaign through
• Strong linkages among producers, aggregators, public institutions, private food and feedenterprises.
• Use information and communication technologies (ICT) for efficient targeting of beneficiaries of the campaign.
• Increase job opening opportunities as a result of higher levels of productivity.
• Stimulate enterprises operating along the supply chains of inputs and marketing of outputs to create jobs and develop technical and human capacities in rural and urban areas.
• Overcome food deficits, reduce importation of basic food commodities and increase exports to the neighboring countries.

GOAL OF THE CAMPAIGN
The goal of the programme is to;
Modernize the agriculture sector of the economy in order to:

• Improve food security
• Create employment opportunities and
• Reduce poverty

OBJECTIVE OF THE CAMPAIGN

• To ensure immediate and adequate availability of selected food commodities.
• To provide job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youth in the agriculture and allied sectors.
• To create general awareness for all formal workers and public institutions to farm and establish backyard gardens.
• To serve as food imports substitution.

Implementation Approach
The adopted approaches aim to:

1. Motivate farmers to use input and output markets.
2. Create employment opportunities along the commodities’ value chains.

Motivating Tools
The program focuses on providing:

1. 50% subsidy of the cost of inputs (seeds and fertilizers)
2. Complementary Services such as Extension Services and Marketing of outputs.