posted by PLG on September 23, 2019

Kukua (NE/R), July 3, GNA – Government has taken steps to eliminate the hassle farmers endure to acquire subsidised agro-inputs under the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme by registering sales points in communities near the farmers.

The farmers are to visit the agro-inputs sales points in their various communities to purchase the subsidised inputs instead of traveling to district capitals for such services.

Mr John Paul Klutsey, West Mamprusi Municipal Agriculture Officer, in-charge of Extension, announced this on Wednesday at a sensitisation forum on PFJ for farmers at Kukua, a community in the West Mamprusi Municipality of the North East Region.

The forum was organised by Peace for Life Ghana (PLG), an NGO, as part of its project dubbed: “Advocacy for support for agricultural value chain in the Northern Regions” with support from BUSAC Fund.

It was to sensitise participants on the PFJ and its gender components and how they could access inputs under it, since a research by the PLG showed that, the farmer groups in the area did not know much about the PFJ.

Previously, most agro-input dealers were located at district capitals making farmers to incur additional costs amongst other challenges to travel to the capitals to acquire agro-inputs.

Mr Klutsey said with the new system, which took effect this planting season, there was no need for farmers to go to Departments of Agriculture for coupons to acquire inputs but rather would go straight to sales points in their communities.

He said 50 agro-inputs sales points had been registered in various communities in the municipality to ensure farmers’ easy access to the inputs for improved crop production.

He urged farmers to follow the prescribed agronomic practices when applying the inputs and the chemicals to increase yields and urged them to report cases of fall army worm infestation of their fields for the necessary action to be taken.

Mr Mutawakilu Alhassan, Executive Director of PLG said the sensitisation would help farmers to benefit from the PFJ to increase yields to ensure food security.

Mr Kaba Pusir, a maize, millet and beans farmer from Kukua, who was a participant, said he is now aware of the PFJ and how to acquire inputs under the programme to boost his production.

Source:GNA