Ghanaian farmers and other stakeholders in agriculture have been assured that their welfare will be given maximum attention and support by Dr Bawumia’s government.
Giving firm assurance, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) vice presidential candidate, stated that the NPP values the role of agriculture in national development.
In this regard, he has announced that Dr Bawumia’s government would implement policies that would enhance agribusinesses to benefit stakeholders in that crucial sector immensely.
Speaking at Kejeji in the Sene East District of the Bono East Region as part of his national campaign tour on Friday, Dr Prempeh, aka ‘Napo’ stated that agribusinesses would certainly flourish.
According to him, the necessary financial, technical, and any other support that would help make agribusinesses thrive in the country would be readily provided by the next NPP administration.
“The potential for expanding and creating thousands of new jobs in agribusiness in response to the opportunities in food security and food exports, including in AgriTech, is significant. That’s why under Dr Bawumia’s presidency, we plan to make significant investments and reforms in the sector, including agricultural research, food production, food preservation, and value-addition,” he noted.
Highlighting some of the key things that a Bawumia-Napo government would do in earnest to promote agribusinesses, he said “We shall create agricultural enclaves in each region based on its competitive advantage via private sector collaboration.”
The government, he also announced would strategically invest in research and the development of digital and Al technologies to help boost food production and distribution.
“This is aimed at improving production, reducing post-harvest losses, and packaging agricultural produce for freshness/longer shelf life as well as farming under arid conditions, and agric mechanisation”, he said.
“We shall also redirect Development Bank Ghana (DBG) to expand its financing and guarantee lines, especially through the proposed SME Bank that we will set up.
“This bank will support entities engaged in manufacturing value-added agricultural products consumed in large quantities by Ghanaians, including the processing and packaging of basic agricultural foods,” he said.
Napo said the government will also accelerate the growth of agro-industries “through financing and guarantees from Development Bank Ghana (DBG) and the Ghana Incentive-Based Risk-Share System for Agricultural Lending (GIRSAL). —Myjoyonline.com