Gov’t Secures Loan to Support Planting for Food And Jobs

Government has signed a US$39.01 million loan agreement with the Agricultural Development Fund (ADF).

This is to finance the Savannah Zone Agricultural Productivity Improvement Project (SAPIP), as part of government’s Planting for Food and Jobs programme.

The signing which took place yesterday, was done by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta, whilst Dr. Yero H. J. Baldeh, the Ghana Country Manager of the African Development Bank signed on behalf of the African Development Fund.

According to a statement issued by the Public Relations Unit of the Ministry of Finance, the development objective of the Project is to transform agricultural value chains for food and nutrition security, job creation within the Savannah Zone.

“The specific objectives are to increase farmers’ food and nutrition security, increase incomes through increased agricultural productivity and diversification and enhance the creation and strengthening of agribusinesses to increase incomes of actors along selected value chains in a sustainable basis,” the statement mentioned.

The project would cover four components in the agricultural sector.

They are “the Crop Productivity Improvement Component, Value Chain and Agribusinesses Development, Component Infrastructure Development Component, Project Coordination, Management and M & E Component.”

50,000 economically active small holders living in the savannah zone will directly benefit from the project.

It will also contribute to the input support programme of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, reaching about 250,000.

By: Emmanuel Yeboah Britwum/ thePublisher