Vice President John Dramani Mahama has stated that the destiny of Ghana was not her ability to exploit gold, oil and gas, but that to produce more food to feed her citizens and export some.
He said although gold and oil could be contribute substantially to national development but it was only farming that was dependable and could permanently move the people out of perpetual poverty and deprivation.
He also reminded Ghanaians that farming is not for the poor and illiterates as perceived by some. Vice President Mahama stated this when he paid a visit to the National Service Secretariat�s 400-hectare farms at Komenda in the Central Region.
The maize farm, one of the seven in five regions, after harvesting, would be sold to Senior High Schools across the country at subsidized prices. It is expected to yield about 8000 bags.
The farm has only 11 permanent workers but 2,000 Volunteer National Service Personnel.
Vice President Mahama said in Europe and the other parts of the world, most of the rich individuals were farmers and encouraged Ghanaians, especially the youth, to take advantage of the Youth in Agriculture Programme to better their lot.
Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, Minister of Food and Agriculture, said Northern Ghana would soon be fully connected to irrigation facilities to enable the people to cultivate maize thrice in a year.
He gave the assurance that government would do everything possible to make farming an attractive business and called on students to take advantage of the venture to enrich themselves and become self-reliant.
He said adequate facilities would be provided to farmers willing to use the former sugar factory lands at Komenda to make the area the food basket for the Central and Western regions.
Mr Vincent Kuagbenu, Director of National Service Secretariat, said the move was to whip up the enthusiasm of the youth, especially students, into Agriculture to see it as an avenue for self-employment.
He commended the MoFA for their tremendous support in realizing their goals and appealed for more multi- purpose machinery that would facilitate harvesting, shelling and bagging to avoid on-farm post-harvest losses.
<<Print>>