GHANA – The Ghanaian government through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development have launched a GH¢2.5 million (US$429,000) pilot support scheme, targeting women farmer-based organizations (WFBOs) engaged in post-production agricultural operations.
The scheme is supported by the Canadian Modernizing Agriculture in Ghana (MAG) programme aimed at strengthening the capacities of the WFBOs to make their products more competitive and attractive for the local and export markets.
Accordingly, the GH¢2.5 million (US$429,000) scheme is in line with Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), reports Ghana Web.
FIAP seeks to empower women to eradicate poverty and build a more peaceful, more inclusive and more prosperous world.
The pilot support will work with Ghana’s Women in Agriculture Development Directorate of MoFA as well as with decentralized departments of agriculture throughout the country to foster women’s competitiveness in providing good quality value-added products to local and foreign customers.
About 32 WFBOs are expected to benefit from the support, with Gratis Foundation, and they will be provided with modernized equipment.
The support programme is expected to contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals and Ghana’s Investment for Food and Jobs (IFJ) objectives.
Under the scheme, activities such as purchasing and installation of agro-processing equipment, capacity building on maintenance of the machinery, coaching and training on market techniques are to be supported.
The acting Chief Director of MoFA, Robert Patrick Ankobiah, who launched the scheme, warned against the marginalization of women in agriculture.
He expressed excitement that focus was being shifted to women in the agricultural sector.
According to him, the intervention would go a long way to help address the challenges faced by women in the agricultural sector.
The Government of Canada through the Modernizing Agriculture in Ghana programme provides a CAD $135 million on-budget support to improve food security and foster economic growth in Ghana.
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