In a bid to bolster agricultural education and production, the North East Regional Minister, Ibrahim Tia, has supplied senior high schools in the region with essential agricultural inputs, encouraging them to actively participate in school farms under the Feed Ghana programme.
Addressing students and faculty heads, Mr Tia said the initiative is designed to equip students not only with academic knowledge but also with practical skills that will serve as valuable assets in their future.
The North East region’s agricultural directorate reports that over four thousand young individuals have registered under the Feed Ghana initiative. This region, known for its agricultural production is seeing an increasing number of young men engaging in dry season farming.
Minister Ibrahim Tia assured the students and stakeholders that, government is doing everything possible to increase agriculture production in the region and to ensure that the availability of water supply is adequate for dry season farming.
“We are in the process of acquiring drilling rigs to enhance water supply for our dry season farmers. With adequate support, the North East Region can become a primary producer of tomatoes, onion and watermelon, meeting Ghana’s demand and beyond.” He stated.
According to the Minister, tomato traders will no longer bypass the North East Region to Burkina Faso to import tomatoes to Ghana.
“My vision is to reverse the current trend where tomato traders travel to Burkina Faso for imports. Instead, I want them to come to the North East Region to source their tomatoes,” he said.
He urged all senior high schools in the region to maximize the use of their school farms, highlighting the economic opportunities that presents- from providing nutritious meals to generating income.
Some of the senior high schools have reported that they have started benefiting from the feed Ghana initiative through school gardens.
“We have already started to see the benefits of this initiative. Last year, it significantly improved the quality of food we served to our students. We appeal to the government for more inputs as we plan to expand our farmlands.”
The Director for Agriculture in the North East Region Edward Nasaara, added that the idea is to encourage the students to develop the passion for agriculture emphasizing that the directorate will collaborate closely with the senior high schools to enhance agricultural production.
According to the Regional Minister, including senior high schools in the feed Ghana initiative is advantageous to the schools. Thus, ensuring that they have consistent access to fresh farm products.
By Solomon Kwame Kanaluwe
