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Former President John Dramani Mahama has outlined a set of ambitious agricultural reforms under the newly launched Feed Ghana Programme, designed to modernize farming, ensure food security, and drive economic transformation in Ghana.
Speaking at the programme’s launch in Techiman on Saturday, April 12, Mahama explained that Feed Ghana is a central pillar of his broader Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda (AETA). The initiative, he said, aims to create jobs, reduce food inflation, and improve livelihoods through sustainable and innovative farming practices.
Mahama unveiled four major interventions under the programme, each targeting specific challenges in Ghana’s agricultural value chain.
1. Smart Agriculture and Farmer Service Centers
To promote smart agriculture, Mahama announced plans to set up Farmer Service Centers across the country. These centers will offer mechanization services, access to quality inputs, financing, primary processing, market linkages, and farmer training.
The programme also includes the creation of “farm banks”—designated land banks in irrigable zones—to support young people interested in agriculture. According to Mahama, these land banks will “support young agricultural entrepreneurs and boost national food production.”
2. Grains and Legumes Development Project
The second intervention is focused on expanding the production of key staple crops—maize, rice, soybean, and sorghum—for local consumption, agro-processing, and export.
Particular attention will be given to sorghum, which Mahama noted has strong potential as a raw material for the brewing industry. “The project will also support the feed industry, which is essential to poultry and livestock production,” he added.
3. Vegetable Development Project – ‘Yiridya’
Under the Yiridya initiative, the programme will promote vegetable cultivation using greenhouse technology and urban farming to reduce imports from neighboring countries.
Mahama urged both schools and households to establish backyard gardens to grow vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, garden eggs, okra, and peppers. He cited the success of past efforts like Operation Feed Yourself, stressing the impact of small-scale farming on food security.
“We will encourage community gardens to enhance nutrition and household incomes,” he said.
4. Institutional Farming for Schools
The fourth intervention focuses on institutional farming, especially in senior high schools with access to arable land. The goal is to integrate crop and livestock farming into the school system to reduce food costs and enhance meal quality for students.
Schools will be supported to rear animals like goats, sheep, and cattle, which will supplement the School Feeding Programme. Mahama emphasized that this effort would also help reshape perceptions about farming.
“This initiative will help students view agriculture as a viable and rewarding career path,” he explained.
President Mahama concluded by stressing the long-term goal of the Feed Ghana Programme: to transform Ghana’s agriculture into a sustainable, self-reliant sector that contributes significantly to national development and regional trade.
“These interventions will revitalize the agricultural sector, enhance self-reliance, and position Ghana as a key player in regional food markets under the African Continental Free Trade Area,” he affirmed.
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