𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗗 𝗚𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗔 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗠𝗘 𝗞𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗦 𝗢𝗙𝗙 𝗜𝗡 𝗡𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗡 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗔𝗚𝗥𝗢-𝗜𝗡𝗣𝗨𝗧𝗦 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗕𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

This auspicious event was graced by the presence of eminent dignitaries, including Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), the Member of Parliament for Sagnarigu, Hon. Attah Issah, the Paramount Chief of Tugu and Northern Regional Director of Agriculture.

Prior to the official launch of the project, the Minister for Food and Agriculture and his entourage paid a courtesy visit to the Northern Regional Minister, Hon. Ali Adolf John. During this visit, the Minister provided the Northern Regional Minister with a comprehensive overview of the project, including the distribution of agro-inputs and the Nkoko Nketenkete Project under the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP).

The Northern Regional Minister, Hon. Ali Adolf John, took the opportunity to appeal to the Minister for Food and Agriculture for more support for farmers in the Northern Region.

Hon. Ali Adolf John Mburudiba welcomed attendees, expressing sincere gratitude to the organizers and the Hon. Minister of Food and Agriculture for participating in the ceremony, underscoring a commitment to supporting farmers.

The Minister extended appreciation to the African Development Bank for its continuous support through projects like Savanah Zone Agriculture Productivity Project (SAPIP), Savannah Investment Programme (SIP), and SADEP.

Hon. Ali Adolf John highlighted the Government of Ghana’s Feed Ghana Programme, aiming to accelerate agricultural transformation, ensure food security, create employment, and enhance economic growth.

Hon. Adolf, noted interventions include increasing agricultural productivity to reduce imports and enhancing food security and nutritional outcomes, focusing on providing improved seeds and fertilizers, promoting poultry production.

The Regional Minister’s emphasis on supporting farmers through initiatives like the Feed Ghana Programme underscores his dedication to food security and economic growth. His recognition of the African Development Bank’s support and the vision of His Excellency President John Mahama highlights his collaborative approach to regional development

The Minister for Food and Agriculture and MP for Asunafo South , Hon. Eric Opoku in his keynote address, expressed a great privilege to participate in the occasion and extended profound appreciation to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme (GAFSP) for a grant of US$20 million aimed at strengthening food and nutrition security in the Northern Savannah Ecological Zone. Gratitude was also expressed to the African Development Bank (AfDB) for technical support.

Hon. Eric Opoku noted that, Ghana’s agricultural sector faces numerous constraints hindering socio-economic development, job creation, and sustainable food systems. The Feed Ghana Programme was introduced to boost production, improve food security, and promote agro-industrial development.

The launched project is a strategic scale-up of the Savannah Investment Programme, designed to broaden impact, improve livelihoods, and contribute to sustainable food systems. It aligns with the Feed Ghana Programme and targets 12 districts across six regions.

The project aims to increase climate-smart food production and enhance food and nutrition security, targeting 50,000 households with a focus on women, youth, and vulnerable groups. Components include:

Access to Finance: Interventions to increase incomes, food availability, strengthen the poultry value chain, and reduce import dependency. A US$1 million revolving fund supports access to low-interest finance.

Provision of Solar-Powered Small-Scale Irrigation: Support for 3,887 farmers with solar-powered irrigation in 88 sites.

Poultry Production: Support for household and commercial poultry production with distribution of guinea keets, pullets, broilers, and guinea fowls.

Input Support: Provision of seed, fertilizer, and agro-chemicals to increase production of staples like maize, rice, soybean, cowpea, and groundnut.

Hon. Eric Opoku, highlighted the distribution of vital agro-inputs to 12,000 farmers in 12 project districts, including fertilizers, seeds for maize, rice, soybean, cowpea, and organic fertilizer for vegetables.

The Minister thanked partners, urged responsible use of inputs and declared the distribution of agricultural inputs officially launched.