The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has rolled out an “Irrigation for Wealth Creation” project phase I to boost production and contribute to food security in the country.
The project seeks to develop and rehabilitate irrigation infrastructure to ensure all year-round production, sustaining agri-business and creating jobs for the youth.
Mr. Eric Opoku, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, speaking during a meeting with regional ministers, business partners and implementing agencies said, the phase I will start in Volta Region, Oti Region, Central Region, North-East Region, Northern Region, Savannah Region, Upper West Region and Upper East Region.
The rest of the regions would be included in phase Il of the project.
He said the phase I had a target of developing 10,000 hectares of land within 12 months to be able to roll out all other policies within the shortest possible time.
He said government is committed to harnessing the potential in agriculture for economic transformation, “such that all economic policies would revolve around it.”
Mr. Opoku said agriculture in Ghana predominantly relied on rain-fed systems, which were inherently unpredictable and insufficient to ensure long-term food security.
He said the regional minister, from February 18 would lead discussions with traditional authorities and stakeholders to secure land for the irrigation projects.
The Minister said Ghana is endowed with an irrigable land estimated at 1.9 million hectares, unfortunately only 1.6% was under irrigation.
“This is far below the West and Central Africa average of 13.9%. So, in West Africa the average irrigation is 13.9% and Ghana is doing 1.6%, this underscores the need for urgent interventions to ensure that we can do all year-round production,” he added.
Mr. Opoku said it is essential to remain mindful of the commitment to establishing a 24-hour economy, with agriculture playing a pivotal role in supplying raw materials to sustain industrial operations.
He said for industries to function continuously, a reliable supply of agricultural inputs is necessary, underscoring the critical interdependence between the agricultural and industrial sectors.
“Agriculture must be strategically positioned to ensure year-round production, from January to December, to guarantee a consistent supply of raw materials for industries”, he said.
