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The Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) has allocated a total of GH¢450million to, among other initiatives, support the government’s ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ programme.

The amount is expected to meet the payment requirements for the agro inputs supplied to beneficiaries under the programme as well as support other viable agricultural initiatives in 2017.

Managing Director of the Bank, Daniel Asiedu, who announced this, explained that GH¢150 million is directly going to support the Planting for Food and Jobs programme.

In addition, he said, GH¢300 million serving as credit facility to support various viable projects in the agricultural value chain for the 2017 financial year.

ADB invested GH¢500m into agric in 5 years
ADB’s investment in the agricultural sector between 2010 and 2015 amounted to GH¢500 million.

ADB is leader in Agric financing
It is the highest investment by any bank in the country into agriculture which is recognised as the backbone of Ghana's economy.

Other banks shy away from Agric
Many banks shy away from providing credit facilities to farmers due to the risks involved.
In 2015, the bank facilitated the provision of 17.7 million Euros geared towards the production of 8,000 hectares of rubber in the country.

3-bedroom house for Best farmer every year
ADB remains the major sponsor of the annual National Farmers’ Day event and consistently financed the building of a three bedroom house to the ultimate winner.

Speaking at the launch of ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ programme, Asiedu pledged the unflinching support of the Bank in partnering the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) to successfully implement the objectives of the policy.

“The Bank will assist the hardworking farmers participating in the programme who intend to expand their operations to transit into successful commercial farmers by providing the necessary support needed,” he said.

Mr Asiedu added that ADB intended to pre-finance a number of agro input suppliers selected by the MoFA under the programme.

“We at ADB endorse this great initiative and would like to use this opportunity to call on other financial institutions to do likewise by allocating funds for agricultural financing,” he added.

Details of the programme
Over the past eight years, the Agric sector has recorded steady decline in terms of growth and contributions to the economy of this country. From 7.4 in 2008/9 fiscal year, the sector has witnessed its fortunes dwindled to as low as 2.8 in 2016.

This had largely been attributed to the failure by the previous administration to inject the needed capital into the sector to enable the ministry roll out policies and programmes that can help our dear farmers improve their lives and contribute immensely to the development of the country.
The President, in his electioneering campaign, pledged to revive the agric through agricultural modernization and use the sector as the vehicle for economic growth and job creation.

Economic-wise, the only sector whose growth can be amply achieved in the next few months into the administration of the NPP appears to be the Agricultural sector.

It is for this reason that upon the appointment of Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, he outdoored the flagship policy ‘Planting for Food and Jobs Campaign’, which is aimed at ensuring food security, reduce huge food import bills and to create jobs for the teeming of this country.

It seeks to also make agriculture and farming an attractive sector for Ghanaians.
An estimated $2.2bn is said to be spent annually on the importation of eight major food items into this country. About 50% of this amount ($1.1bn) is spent on rice alone.

This is not a healthy development for a country like that Ghana that has vast fertile lands.
Ideally, the country's five million farming population should be able to produce enough to meet local demands and surplus for export to increase Ghana's foreign exchange earnings.
The Planting for Food and Jobs Campaign, therefore, seeks to address this rather sad development and reverse the declining trend of the growth of the agricultural sector.

It is a national clarion call on Ghanaians; individuals, groups and organisations to either take farming as a part-time or full time occupation.

Each and every Ghanaian is being called upon to plant something either for domestic consumption or for commercial benefit.

It is a private sector-driven programme whose success will rely much on the contribution of players in the private agribusiness.

Government will provide agricultural inputs at subsidised prices and also support farmers with extension services.

An initial number of 200,000 farmers selected from the 216 districts across the country are expected to participate this year which is the pilot phase of the program. This will further increase as the years roll by.

The objective is to target almost half of the 5 million farming population in the country. About 750,000 direct jobs will be created whilst about 1.2bn revenue could be contributed to the economy.
It is built upon five main pillars:

1. Provision of Improved Seedlings at Subsidised for participating farmers selected farmers will be given improved seedlings (not GMO) at subsidised prices with flexible payment system.

Government has agreed to absorb 50% of the cost of the seedlings whilst the farmer pays the other 50% at flexible terms.
By flexible terms, we mean the farmer will be required to make 25% down payment. The other 25% will be paid after harvest (either cash or in kind)
Five major crops are being considered under the pilot phase of the project: these are:

Selected areas
1. Maize
2. Rice
3. Sorghum
4. Soybean
5. Vegetables- Tomato, Onion, Chilli Pepper
Other industrial crops will be considered next year.

2. Supply of fertilizers: similar arrangements under the seedlings also apply to the fertilizer.

3. Supply of Extension services
Under an arrangement with the Youth Employment Agency, government has acquired the services of 1200 graduate extension officers who have completed school from the five agric training colleagues and had been sitting home without jobs.

Currently, there are about 3200 backlog of graduates who are yet to be employed after completion of their course. This program has therefore come as a relief to many who were sitting idle.

The rest will be absorbed in subsequent years as the program progresses.
The selected 1200 officers have already undergone orientation to abreast them with the processes involved in the program.

Inputs such as motorbikes, boots, coats and allowances will be provided.

4. Marketing Arrangement for Produce after harvest
A multi complex approach is being adopted to deal with marketing of the produce. Government intends to purchase part of the produce directly from farmers with valuable prices whilst arrangements are being made with private firms to purchase part.

Government is in discussion with the UN World Food Program on a special arrangement.
Government is also seeking to revamp the defunct National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) for the storage of the produce (private entities have expressed interest)
5. The fifth pillar is E-Agriculture, a technology platform that will build a database for participating farmers.

Biometric data of all farmers will be obtained and fed into a tracking system to check the supply of seedlings and fertilisers as well as the work of extension farmers.
This will eradicate the incidents of theft as far as the inputs are concerned as the technology will be able to track the movements of seedlings and fertilizers across the country.
This will also help determine an estimate mode of selection of farmers.

Mode of selection of farmers
Regional and district agricultural directors were tasked to compile list of interested farmers who are willing to be part of the program.

A farmer will require a minimum of 4 acres to be a beneficiary.
This list includes the selection of choice of crop/crops to be cultivated. It is then given to the IT Consultant, Essoko, for the subsequent compilation of biometric details from the field using GIS system.