Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) program is a strategic flagship agricultural initiative launched by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo on 19th April, 2017. Its aim was to boost self-sufficiency in selected food commodities, modernize agriculture, and stimulate growth through subsidies for food security and job creation. Despite mobilizing over 1.2 million farmers and creating 800+ jobs, the program faced significant budgetary constraints, posing a major challenge to its sustainability.
On August 28, 2023 the President Nana Akufo Addo launched the second phase of the PFJ program dubbed Planting for Food and Jobs Phase II (PFJ 2.0), in Tamale. This phase aims to transition from a direct input subsidy to a direct credit system linked to a structured market arrangement. The five-year period of implementing PFJ 2.0 is expected to increase the availability and access to improved inputs, mechanization, extension services, and output markets. The PFJ 2.0 program is set to tackle the following challenges:
- The difficulty in accessing credit facilities
- The issue of inadequate productivity and production
- The instability of food prices
- The insufficient promotion of commercial agriculture
- The unreliability of food security and resilience
As part of programmed activities to sensitize the public about the PFJ 2.0 model and its modalities, a district agriculture stakeholder’s durbar was held on the 9th of April 2024 by the Agriculture Department of the Saboba District Assembly.
Addressing participants at the program, the District Chief Executive, Hon. George K. Bingrini enumerated various successes chalked in the Phase I of PFJ program and urged interested individuals to consider enrolling for the Phase II of the program. He listed eleven priority commodities which will be of keen interest in the Phase II like, Poultry, Rice, Maize, Soyabean, Sorghum, Tomato, Onion, Pepper, Cassava, Yam, and Plantain.
Sensitizing the public in Saboba, the District Director of Agriculture, Mr. Seidu Fatawu said, the PFJ II is anchored on five (5) elements: Input Credit System, Storage and distribution infrastructure, Off-taker arrangement, Digitalized Platform and Line of sight Management & Coordination. Mr. Seidu, enumerated categories of beneficiaries as; New and existing companies and individuals can enrol and benefit from the program also, farmers, processors, Input suppliers, Off-takers, Aggregators, Warehouse Operators, Agric Machine Operators, and Extension Officers.
Participants of the durbar included, the District Chief Executive, Assembly members, representatives of Farmer Based Organisations, Women in Agriculture Platform (WAP), farmers, and many others.
Registration is necessary for farmers and producers to benefit from PFJ2.0. The following requirements must be met:
- Have access to land or farm.
- Farmer/company profile to be captured.
- Captured GPS coordinates of farm or land (polygons)
- Must be a Ghanaian citizen
- Must have a valid Ghana card.