Ghana will reap $ 12 billion from Planting for Export and Rural Development

News from Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Source: kasapafmonline.com

2019-07-24

The cocoa is expected to enable Ghana to draw billions of dollars from the production of other tree crops after the successful implementation of Planter for Export and Rural Development, the Minister of Food and Agriculture. from Agriculture, the Hon. Owusu Afriyie Akoto said.

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture, in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, has launched an ambitious program to diversify the country's agricultural export capacity to include other agricultural products. trees of the same economic value as cocoa.

With the successful launch of one of the flagship policies of the Plantation for Export and Rural Development (PERD), six major tree crops, namely coconut, rubber, cashew, Oil, coffee and shea, Plantation for Export and Rural Development (PERD) is expected to generate more than twelve billion dollars in exports.

According to the Minister of Food and Agriculture, the Hon. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the six tree crops have the potential to outstrip cocoa and diversify the country's economy from over-reliance on a single crop as the main export product.

"Ghana's vision beyond aid can only be realized if we are able to increase our export capacity of agricultural products, which is what we hope to do thanks to the PRDE program. The six crops combined can bring us $ 2 billion each just for the export of raw materials, not to mention the added value, "said the minister at a recent summit on the cocoa production chain. organized by Ecobank in Accra.

PERD is one of the components of the government's flagship agriculture policy, Plant for Food and Employment (PFJ).

Other programs include livestock farming, agricultural mechanization centers (AMSEC) and the Greenhouse Villages initiative.

L & # 39; Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto said that millions of plants had been badfed and distributed to farmers at the various Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) under the PERD program.

The Minister also highlighted a number of government programs to increase cocoa revenues, including the proposal to create a $ 100 million cocoa processing plant in Sefwi Wiawso to add value. raw cocoa.