PFJ – Apex News GH

Opinion

Over 320, 000 Farmers in Upper East Region registered under Planting for Food and Jobs

We have registered over 320,000 farmers under the Plant for Food and Jobs (PFJ). This is according to Mr. Francis Ennor, the Upper East Regional Director of Agriculture. Apenewsgh.com report The Regional Agric Director made the revelation during an Exclusive Interview with Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen of Apexnewsgh.com on Thursday, September 1, 2022.According to him, the government has contracted Broadspectrum an I.T Company to register farmers in the five northern regions. “So, as a Region, we have over 320,000 farmers that have been registered and the registrations are still ongoing. So, if you are a farmer and you want to have access to the subsidized products, you walk to any of the input dealers who had received the subsidized fertilizer or the seeds, you only need to mention your name and they will open the system and if your name is there, it will show on the system your picture, your farm size and they will ask you the type of fertilizer you want”. The Agric Director Explained He said, the ongoing registration exercise for farmers is a programme under the PFJ introduced by government to help get accurate records of farmers in the region. “ So, this is a programme also under the Planting for Food and Jobs the government also introduced to make sure that we get the exact number of we are dealing with so that we can do proper planning for them. With that, you will that in the region these are the number of farmers we are dealing with. That will also help to monitor the fertilizer that comes in and go out”. Source: Apexnewsgh.com For publication, kindly contact 0256336062 or Email: apexnewsgh@gmail.com

Politics

Mid-Year Budget Review: One million jobs for youth coming – Ofori-Atta

The government has outlined plans to create about one million jobs as part of a three-year strategy to address youth unemployment in the country. The Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta made this known during his presentation of the mid-year fiscal policy review to Parliament on Thursday July 29, 2021. According to him, though government through its flagship programmes like the 1 District 1 Factory (1D1F) and Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) has created significant number of jobs, the issue of youth unemployment in the country still persist and it is thus putting measures in place to create more and better jobs for young Ghanaians, both in the public and the private sectors of the economy. He said: “I have had extensive discussions with my colleague Ministers of Employment and Labor Relations, Youth & Sports and Lands & Natural Resources. These conversations culminated in a comprehensive strategy to sustainably address youth unemployment. New programmes will be introduced and existing ones scaled-up and refocused to meet the aspirations of our youth. “We will work together to sensitize and connect the youth to the numerous opportunities being made available by Government programmes, including a 3-year strategy to create job opportunities for 1 million Ghanaian youth. There are currently about 5 on-going programmes through which we intend to create these jobs,” he said. Although the economic disruptions occasioned by the COVID-19 has led to more people losing their jobs, Mr. Ofori-Atta said government’s plan to reboot the economy and set it back in motion through the Gh¢100 billion Ghana CARES ‘Obaatanpa’ revitalization programme will be vital in the country’s journey towards the creation of this 1 million jobs. This he said will help accelerate competitive import substitution and export expansion to generate sustainable jobs for the teeming youth (under 35 years), which constitutes about 71% of the population. Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093

Business

UER: Farmers wept as Planting for Food and Jobs fertilizers nowhere to be found in the Upper East Region

Farmers in the Upper East Region are left with no hope in this year’s farming season as they wept for the current shortage of Planting for Food and Jobs fertilizers in the system. During the last year’s farming season, the region witnessed a massive supply of Planting for Food fertilizers across the region which was facilitated by the government through the Ministry of Agriculture. However, the PFJ policy success Story isn’t the same as usual this year, because the fertilizer is nowhere to be found in any part of the Region. Some farmers who spoke to Apexnewsgh.com say this year’s farming is very difficult for them because the little fertilizer that came through the private business individuals have also entered into the hands of the big men, making it difficult for the ordinary farmer to gain access to the fertilizer. Meanwhile, the Upper East Regional MoFA Director Mr. Francis Ennor, linked the recent shortage as the effect of COVID-19 and a double increase in prices which had actually gone against the government’s will. He described the current situation as a big problem. “Actually this year is not coming as it used to be. It is actually a problem this year”. You see, because of the COVID production have reduced and the prices have also gone up. The government signed a contract with these companies late last year and this year, the prices have almost doubled so is not to their advantage and the government has not gotten the money immediately to meet the shortfall”. He explained “So, they are also reluctant to bring in the fertilizer. That is the problem we are facing now”. According to the Regional MoFA Director Mr. Ennor, the fertilizer they brought to Navrongo is an open market fertilizer and not the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) fertilizer as claimed by some farmers in the Navrongo Municipal. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana/Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen Please contact Apexnewsgh.com on email apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible news publications. Contact: 05555568093

Politics

UER: 4 Assemblies ban from dealing with PFJ fertilizer

In-put dealers from 4 assemblies in the Upper East Region have been restricted from retailing fertilizer under the government’s flagship programme, Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) due to their proximity to the neighboring countries. The 4 assemblies are Garu, Pusiga, Tempane, Kassena-Nankana West district and Bawku Municipal. These 4 assemblies have been slapped from participating in the distribution of fertilizer under the policy. Upper East Regional Crops Officer, Joshua Diedong who also doubles as a scheduling officer for the planting for food policy whiles making the revelation to Apexnewsgh.com said, some unscrupulous persons are taking advantage of the reduction in the price of the fertilizer to smuggle it out of the country. However, the Upper East Regional Secretary of the in-puts dealers association, Bismark Nsoh believes some untrained in-put dealers are behind the smuggling of the fertilizers in the region. Mr. Nsoh has there called on stakeholders to eliminate what he deemed political interference in the selection of in-put dealers which he believes is affecting the success of the policy. Apexnewsgh.com/Ghana Please kindly contact APEXNEWSGH on Email: apexnewsgh@gmail.com for your credible News publications

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Over 320, 000 Farmers in Upper East Region registered under Planting for Food and Jobs

Mid-Year Budget Review: One million jobs for youth coming – Ofori-Atta

UER: Farmers wept as Planting for Food and Jobs fertilizers nowhere to be found in the Upper East Region

UER: 4 Assemblies ban from dealing with PFJ fertilizer