Ghana-To-Become-Self-Sufficient-In-Rice-And-Soya-Bean-Production--Minister
Ghana is on the path of achieving self-sufficiency in soya bean production by 2020 and rice production by 2023, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, has said. He attributed the high level of progress in the production of the two crops in the country to increased demand by farmers for certified seeds and fertilizers as a result of the Government’s subsidy on the inputs. He said from a national average of 20 per cent self-sufficiency for soya and 50 per cent for rice before 2017, Ghana was now heading towards self-sufficiency in the production of the two crops. He said under the Government’s flagship programme “Planting for Food and Jobs” (PFJ), certified seeds usage increased from 4,400 metric tonnes (MT) in 2017, to 6,800MT in 2018 and a target of 15,000MT in 2019 was likely to be exceeded, as a result of increasing demand from farmers. “Fertilizer usage under the programme has also increased from 121,000MT in 2017 to a target of 331,00...