Ato Forson: Ghana Can Achieve Food Self-Sufficiency (New AgriConnect Compact Targets Rice, Cocoa, Jobs!)
Dr. Cassiel Ato, the Minister of Finance Forson has said that Ghana has the resources and ability to become self-sufficient in food with the right investments and policies. He also announced plans by the government and the World Bank to change agriculture through a new AgriConnect compact as part of the Food Security Resilience Programme. He said during a visit to the Kpong Irrigation Scheme that the compact, which will soon be sent to Parliament, will focus on important staple and cash crops, such as making the country self-sufficient in rice, planting 100,000 hectares of palm trees, and fixing up cocoa farms to cut down on imports and create jobs. He told farmers that the School Feeding Program, a reworked Buffer Stock Company, and new storage facilities would guarantee them markets. World Bank Country Director Robert Taliercio also said that agriculture is very important for GDP and jobs and that the bank plans to spend up to $1 billion to improve the investment climate and boost irrigation, rural roads, and productivity.
