In a groundbreaking move to boost agricultural initiatives in schools nationwide, the Government through the Feed Ghana Programme will bestow special honors upon top-performing Junior High Schools (JHSs) and Senior High Schools (SHSs) on this year’s grand Farmer’s Day celebration come December 2025.
Revealing this exciting development was the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, who highlighted that schools actively engaged in agriculture under the Feed Ghana initiative stand a chance to be recognized as the Best School in agriculture by a distinguished Awarding Panel at the national level.
“The highly anticipated Farmer’s Day Awards will feature the Best Secondary School in Agriculture, which will receive an esteemed award to benefit the entire institution,” the minister shared in an exclusive interview with The New Republic.
Outlining the selection process, Minister Opoku hinted that schools across all regions would nominate candidates dedicated to agricultural pursuits, with Technical Officers set to evaluate these contenders through on-site visits to their respective agricultural projects.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister John Dumelo embarked on insightful farm visits in the Bono and Bono East Regions, immersing himself in the agricultural activities of SHSs and National Service farms firsthand.
This laudable initiative not only aims to cultivate a culture of agricultural involvement in schools but also seeks to fortify food sufficiency and security within educational institutions nationwide while reducing the burden of school feeding expenses, thereby advancing the government’s expansion of the Feed Ghana Programme.
Under this visionary program, a spectrum of institutions, including the Prison Service, Ghana Armed Forces, National Service, and churches, have actively embraced agricultural pursuits, with diverse crops such as grains and vegetables cultivated to enhance food production capacity.
In a bid to honour the outstanding contributions of these entities, President John Mahama is slated to tour selected farms next month, underscoring the unparalleled productivity and dedication displayed by participants facilitating national food security.
As the agriculture sector continues to thrive under the Feed Ghana agenda, the Ghana Prison Service and the Ghana Armed Forces have emerged as pivotal contributors to the agricultural landscape, garnering commendation for their significant efforts in promulgating self-sufficiency.
Amidst the nation’s collective strides towards agricultural excellence, the Feed Ghana Programme represents a crucial tenet of the government’s commitment to revolutionize the agricultural sector, bolstering food security, and propelling economic growth on a national scale.
By Gifty Arthur
