President John Dramani Mahama, will on Friday, March 20, cut sod for the first Farmer Service Centre initiative in Afram Plains in the Eastern Region.
The exercise will be one of many of many centres to be positioned across the country to strengthen support for farmers.
Speaking at the launch of the maiden Ghana Agrotech Fair at the Independence Square on Tuesday, March 17, the President said his administration is looking forward to have a total of 50 of these centres across the country.
The first phase will cover 11 centres in major agricultural producing areas. He gave a brief explanation to what interested farmers need to do.
“Farmers registered with the centres will receive mechanisation support, training, and guidance from extension officers on best practices in production, transport, processing, and value addition.
“This initiative is part of our broader plan to modernise agriculture, enhance productivity, and strengthen local agribusiness through innovation and capacity building,” President Mahama said.
The initiative is part of the 2024 campaign promise of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to strategize and modernize the agricultural sector.
It is a bold plan to support farmers with modern agricultural technologies and equipment. The President made this pledge during the NDC’s manifesto launch in Winneba in the Central Region.
Launching the document, Mahama emphasized that these Farmer Service Centres would be pivotal in transforming agriculture by providing farmers with access to the latest farming technologies, equipment, and inputs.
This initiative is designed to make farming more efficient and productive, ultimately enhancing food security and creating jobs.
He noted that the establishment of these centres would play a crucial role in reducing food inflation and lowering the high cost of living, aligning with the NDC’s broader Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda.
By Gifty Boateng