The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), convened a one-day zonal sensitization workshop on the Feed Ghana Program (FGP) for farmer leaders and stakeholders in the Volta and Oti regions. The aim of the workshop was to equip farmer leaders and focal persons with a clear understanding of the modalities of the FGP, while also providing an avenue for feedback and clarification on the flagship initiative.
The meeting brought together over fifty (50) participants from seventeen (17) districts, including Krachi East, Kadjebi, Jasikan, Nkwanta North and South in the Oti Region, and North Dayi, Hohoe, Ho West, Ho Municipal, Akatsi, and Ketu North in the Volta Region. In attendance were Regional Directors of Agriculture, Planning Officers, and officials from the Department of Cooperatives.
Mr. Bismark Owusu Nortey, Acting Executive Director of PFAG, emphasized that the workshop was essential for updating farmer leaders and focal persons on the FGP, outlining how smallholder farmers could benefit and the responsibilities of farmer groups under the program. He noted that as key beneficiaries, PFAG was committed to ensuring that its members across the country benefit extensively from the initiative, which he believes has the potential to address Ghana’s food security challenges if implemented effectively. He further stated that PFAG, as an advocacy organization, would monitor the program’s implementation and provide timely feedback to the Ministry for consideration. He acknowledged the role of OXFAM in providing technical and logistical support to PFAG in undertaking this initiative.
In his remarks, Mr. Raymond Amoah Duncan, PFAG focal person for the Oti and Volta regions, commended the government and PFAG’s secretariat for securing and distributing free fertilizers to members of the Association, describing the achievement as unprecedented. He advised farmers to commit to one farmer association rather than joining multiple groups, to maintain focus on their respective organizational objectives.
Speaking on the Feed Ghana Program and its modalities, Mr. William Dzamefe, Volta Regional Director of the Department of Agriculture, highlighted that all farmers are value chain actors and encouraged them to cultivate crops that meet market demand to avoid post-harvest losses. He stated that the program aims to create sustainable employment and enhance economic growth by reducing importation, increasing irrigation facilities, and boosting both export and domestic production. He added that Farmer Service Centres would be established in most districts to provide inputs and services such as mechanization, extension support, climate-smart technologies, marketing linkages, credit facilities, and insurance. He noted that over 3,321 farmer groups, comprising 9,000 farmers, have registered in the Volta Region. He concluded by urging participants to register their groups to benefit from the FGP.
Additionally, Mr. Obrien Nyarko, Oti Regional Director of Agriculture, stated that the FGP is expected to improve agricultural productivity, generate wealth, and create more jobs for the youth. He emphasized the need for farmers to register their Farmer-Based Organizations (FBOs) as cooperatives, with membership ranging from 15 to 40 persons per group. He encouraged farmers to join community-based, commodity-specific cooperatives and noted that individuals may belong to more than one such cooperative. He urged FBOs to evolve into formal cooperatives to enhance reliability, attract government support, and enable effective monitoring. He reported that as of the first week of September, 2,731 cooperatives in the Oti Region had registered for the FGP. In conclusion, he encouraged members to work closely with the Department of Agriculture to gain more knowledge and information to support their production efforts.
The farmers expressed their gratitude and underscored the importance of the program. They pledged to disseminate the information to their members and begin the registration process. They expressed hope that the FGP would live up to expectations and address the multiple constraints limiting their productivity.