As a result of the ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’, among other policies, maize and rice yields have gone up by about 110% and 48% respectively, President Nana Akufo-Addo has disclosed.
In his 2021 State of the Nation Address, the President said: “We have, for the first time in a long while, become a net exporter of food as opposed to the days of importation of tomatoes and plantain.
“Indeed in 2019, we exported some one hundred and forty thousand metric tons (140,000) to our neighbours.”
According to him, during the period of the covid-19 pandemic, there was no food shortage in the country.
Furthermore, he said a new trading mechanism has been implemented and as such cocoa farmers should receive additional monies for every $400,000 per ton of cocoa sold, effective from the 2020/2021 crop season.
Through the establishment of the Tree Crops Development Authority, President Akufo-Addo said government is determined to end the over-reliance on cocoa and develop other cash crops such as cashew, cotton, mango, oil palm, rubber and shea.
He further said government remains committed to the completion of the mini habours and landing sites, which are at different stages of completion in Senya Beraku, Dixcove, Elmina, Moree, Winneba, Gomoa Fetteh, Teshie, Keta, Mumford and Jamestown.
Agric records 8.3% growth rate
The Agriculture sector was the only sector that recorded a growth rate in the third quarter of 2020. It recorded a Gross Domestic Product of 8.3%.
With the exception of Forestry and Logging sub-sector that contracted, all the other sub-sectors expanded in growth in quarter three 2020.
Whilst the fishing sub-sector expanded by 20.4%, the crops sub-sector grew by 9.0% in the third quarter of 2020.