Ministry of Food And Agriculture

1
MEET THE PRESS 2009

• BY
• HON. MINISTER OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
• MR. KWESI AHWOI

2
PRESENTATION OUTLINE

• An overview of the agricultural sector
• Outlook for 2009

3
Production of Selected Food Crops (000Mt)
(2000 - 2008)
Source SRID, MoFA
4
Agric. Contribution to Gross Domestic Product

Source GSS
5
Percent Economically Active Labour force in Agric.
Source GSS
6
Growth Rates in Agricultural Sub-Sectors ()
Source GSS
7
Cocoa Production 1999/2000 2007/2008
Source COCOBOD, Accra
8
Ghanas Food Self Sufficiency Ratios
Source SRID, MoFA
9

• OUTLOOK FOR 2009

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OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• The Ministry will continue to pursue its goal
  through the Food and Agriculture Sector
  Development Policy (FASDEP II) which seeks to
  achieve inter alia the following objectives
• Food security and emergency preparedness
• Improved growth in incomes and stability
• Increased competitiveness and enhanced
  integration into domestic and international
  markets

11
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• OBJECTIVES CONTD
• 4. Sustainable management of land and
  environment
• 5. Application of science and technology in food
  and agriculture development and
• 6. Enhanced institutional coordination.

12
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• FOOD SECURITY
• Under this objective, the Ministry plans to
  increase food production through intensification
  of production of existing cropped lands for all
  food crops and also expand areas under
  cultivation of maize, rice and soybean, poultry,
  piggery, fish (aquaculture)

13
OUTLOOK FOR 2009
The Ministry will pursue the following
interventions to achieve the food security
objective

• Youth in Agriculture (YIA) - Block farming
  program and demonstration farms for maize, rice,
  sorghum and soybean
• Supply of fertilizer to farmers at subsidized
  prices
• Support for Nerica Rice production in the
  northern sector of the country
• Production of 500ha seed maize and 700ha seed
  rice
• Rehabilitation of warehouses and storage of
  emergency food stocks
• Development of water pumping schemes on major
  rivers for irrigation

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SUMMARY DISTRIBUTION OF ACREAGES BY REGION FOR
YIA BLOCK FARMING
15
DISTRIBUTION OF CROP AREA BY REGION AND DISTRICT
FOR BLOCK FARMING (Ha) Northern Region
16
DISTRIBUTION OF CROP AREA BY REGION AND DISTRICT
FOR BLOCK FARMING (Ha) Upper West Region
17
DISTRIBUTION OF CROP AREA BY REGION AND DISTRICT
FOR BLOCK FARMING (Ha) Upper East Region
18
DISTRIBUTION OF CROP AREA BY REGION AND DISTRICT
FOR BLOCK FARMING (Ha) Brong Ahafo Region
19
DISTRIBUTION OF CROP AREA BY REGION AND DISTRICT
FOR BLOCK FARMING (Ha) Ashanti and Central
Regions
20
ESTIMATED PRODUCTION FROM YIA BLOCK FARMING
21
PROJECTED EMPLOYMENT GENERATION THROUGH YOUTH IN
AGRICULTURE BLOCK FARMING
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OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• 2. INCREASING INCOME GROWTH
• To ensure the growth of incomes in the
  agricultural sector and reduce income variability
  there is the need to diversify into cash crops,
  livestock and value addition.
• Farmers will therefore be encouraged, in
  addition to their food crop farming activities to
  diversify into the cultivation of cash crops and
  livestock for which they have comparative and
  competitive advantages

23
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• 2. INCREASING INCOME GROWTH CONTD
• Value chains will be developed for industrial
  crops such as cotton, cashew, rubber, soybean,
  etc
• Companies and individuals are being trained and
  supported to add value through packaging, drying
  and juice production of horticultural crops such
  as pineapple, oranges, mango and papaya

24
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• 2. INCREASING INCOME GROWTH CONTD
• The Ministry will collaborate with and support
  the CSIR to find solutions for the development of
  sheanuts and dawadawa industries, whilst
  facilitating their harvesting and processing by
  vulnerable groups
• About 15,000 household will be supplied with
  about 160,000 improved mango seedlings

25
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• 2. INCREASING INCOME GROWTH CONTD
• Hatchery operators will be contracted to hatch 2
  million chicks for distribution to farmers for
  household rearing
• Guinea fowl farmers in the 3 northern region
  regions will be supported incubators to produce
  keets for farmers
• Improved breeding stock of small ruminants will
  be supplied to farmers

26
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• 2. INCREASING INCOME GROWTH CONTD
• Sixteen (16) boreholes and 32 dugouts for
  livestock watering will be provided under the
  Livestock Development project in the northern
  sector of the country
• About 1,000 small ruminant farmers will be
  trained on hay/silage conservation and
  utilization and in the use of urea to treat crop
  residue
• 500 ha of communal grazing land in important
  livestock producing districts will be oversown to
  increase fodder production

27
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• Livestock Development Project
• 50,000 improved breeds of small ruminants would
  be distributed to farmers throughout the country
  for genetic improvement of the local stock
• 10,000 parent stock of pigs will be distributed
  to farmers
• 200,000 improved cockerels will be distributed to
  households

28
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• Fisheries Sub-sector
• Farmers are being trained in the use of cage fish
  farming
• To date 40 out of 240 cages have been constructed
  and distributed to farmers. Each cage is
  expected to produce 15 mt of fish annually

29
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• Fisheries Sub-sector
• Fisheries Patrols
• As can be read from the Daily Graphic of 6th June
  2009 initial payment has been done for 2 out of 6
  patrol boats to augment the fleet of Ghana Navy
  ships to protect our maritime domain and also to
  enforce fisheries laws among others. They are
  expected to be delivered by end of this year

30
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• Fisheries Sub-sector
• Community Based Fisheries Management Committees
  (CBFMCS)
• Funds have been released for the formation of ten
  (10) CBFMCs which have gazetted their bye laws.
• The World Bank is also assisting the Fisheries
  Commission to complete the rest of CBFMCs along
  the coast and also on the Volta Lake
• It is worthy to note that through these CBFMCs
  fishermen will be educated on the fisheries law,
  regulations, bye laws, HIV AIDS, book-keeping and
  others to enable them comply with the laws and
  also manage their lives

31
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• Fisheries Sub-sector
• Embossment of Canoe Registration Numbers
• All canoes along the coast have been assigned
  registration numbers. Discussions have been held
  with the fishermen and they have agreed to share
  the cost with government on fifty-fifty basis
• The Fish Code programme under the FAO is paying
  for the embossment of the first 1,000 canoes as a
  pilot along the coast. The rest will be done in
  the course of the year. The total number of
  canoes along the coast is about 11,000

32
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• Fisheries Sub-sector
• Premix Fuel
• Premix fuel as we all know is important in the
  operations of the canoe fishermen
• As was announced a few days ago the NDC
  government has re-established the National Premix
  Committee to oversee the Administration and
  Distribution of the product
• It is important to note that only Landing Beach
  Committees (LBCs) will be involved and NOT
  individuals

33
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• Fisheries Sub-sector
• Fisheries Commission
• The government has received nominations for the
  re-constitution of the Fisheries Commission. It
  is likely to be constituted very soon

34
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• Fisheries Sub-sector
• Aquaculture
• Aquaculture has received a tremendous respond
  from individual Ghanaian and also from local and
  international NGOs. Proposals are being
  considered to establish more fish hatcheries and
  feed mills in line with NDCs manifesto of making
  life better for all Ghanaians

35
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• Fisheries Sub-sector
• Fish Imports
• The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has a policy
  of ensuring availability of fish at all times but
  not to the detriment of our own fishermen
• The policy therefore is to manage the import
  regime to meet these two objectives

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OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• 3. SUSTAINABLE LAND MANAGEMENT
• An Agricultural Land Management Strategy will be
  implemented as a tool to address the
  unsustainable use of land for agricultural
  purposes.
• The Ministry will collaborate with the Ministry
  of Lands and Forestry, Environmental Protection
  Agency and other agencies to develop and a
  Country Investment Framework for sustainable land
  Management

37
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• 4. INCREASED COMPETITIVENESS AND ENHANCED
  INTEGRATION INTO MARKETS
• Opportunity exists for Ghana to increase the
  level of competitiveness of its agricultural
  products in both domestic and international
  markets. The Ministry will therefore pursue the
  following interventions
• Ensure the efficient operation and management of
  the modern fruit/vegetable terminal at Tema port
  (Shed 9)
• Pursue the construction of a Perishable Products
  Cargo Center at KIA by MiDA

38
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• 4. INCREASED COMPETITIVENESS AND ENHANCED
  INTEGRATION INTO MARKETS CONTD
• Agricultural producers and exporter will be
  trained to get certification and meet EUREGAP and
  GLOBAGAP standards
• Agricultural Extension Agents in important export
  oriented producing areas will be trained to
  acquire the requisite skills and knowledge in
  export production to impact to farmers
• Training to be given farmers to meet organic
  certification standards
• Land Banks are being established to assist
  potential investors into agriculture

39
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• 5. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY APPLIED IN AGRICULTURE
• The Grains and Legumes Development Board (GLDB)
  and the Plant Protection and Regulatory Services
  Directorate (PPRSD) will continue to supply
  quality seeds and planting materials to farmers
  to boost their production
• GLDB will store and manage 700mt of certified
  seeds of maize, and other crops produced by
  certified seed producers. In addition, it will
  also store 300mt each of maize and rice seeds as
  National Strategic Stocks
• 100,000 yam setts will be produced under RTIMP
• 140ha cassava planting material farms will be
  established

40
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• Agricultural Mechanization
• The Agricultural Engineering Services Directorate
  will continue the promotion of sustainable water
  harvesting and efficient water management.
  Training will be provided for 20
  mechanics/technicians in ground water technology
  and drill 300 boreholes for irrigation.
• Tractor services centers will be established to
  facilitate access to farm power machinery by
  those farmers who cannot afford their own
  machinery.

41
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• Establishment of Agricultural Mechanization
  Services Centers (AMSEC)
• From March 2009 to date, 57 applications have
  been approved for the establishment of
  Agricultural Mechanization Services Centers
• Of the number, 24 have started operations in
  locations across the country
• Lst of applicants and beneficiaries of AMSEC

42
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• In addition, 305 tractors have been sold to
  individuals
• School Farm Project
• 10 agricultural institutions have been identified
  to submit proposals on agricultural programs for
  allocation of tractors and accessories

43
Establishment of Agricultural Mechanization
Services Centers (AMSEC) - Regional Distribution
of AMSEC 1 2
44
Establishment of Agricultural Mechanization
Services Centers (AMSEC) - Regional Distribution
of AMSEC 1 2
45
OUTLOOK FOR 2009
Irrigation

• Under the National Irrigation Policy, MOFA will
  improve the operational efficiency of existing
  and new irrigation schemes to contribute to food
  security objective.
• The Ministry is rehabilitating 41 dams and
  dugouts that were breached during the 2007 floods
• Rehabilitation of the Tono Irrigation project
  will be completed

46
OUTLOOK FOR 2009

• Under the Small Scale Irrigation Development
  Project, 8 facilities have been completed and 18
  are at various stages of completion
• Feasibility studies on the Accra Plains
  Irrigation Project will be completed by July 2009
• 794 irrigation pumps of various capacities have
  been ordered to establish irrigation schemes
  along the main perennial rivers
• An additional 83 irrigation pumps are being
  distributed to various communities

Irrigation
47
OUTLOOK FOR 2009
Extension

• A database of all farmers is being built by the
  Directorate of Agricultural Extension Services
  for effective planning and outreach
• The capacity of Agricultural Extension Agents
  (AEAs) will be enhanced to conduct crop and
  livestock demonstrations to show best practices
  and proven technologies nationwide
• To reach out to more farmers, the Ministry will
  employ the use of audio-visual mobile vans, print
  and other mass media for agricultural technology
  dissemination
• The Ministry will train and equip 1,000 Award
  Winners to serve as sources of extension training
  and markets to smallholders within the immediate
  environs

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OUTLOOK FOR 2009
6. EFFECTIVE INSTITUTIONAL COORDINATION

• MOFA is strengthening its collaboration with
  MDAs, the private sector, FBOs, NGOs and
  development partners through harmonization of
  efforts to achieve maximum result in growth and
  development.

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• THANK YOU
• FOR
• YOUR ATTENTION