Ghana has received the latest batch of agricultural machinery from the Brazilian government to help improve the agricultural sector.
Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto received the prize along with Ghanaian Times Editor, Mr. Dave Agbenu, National Top Farmer, Mr. Mashud Mohammed, Kadiri Osman, Best Farmer in Greater Accra 2021, and Hannah Appenteng, Female Editor for Ningo Prampram.
The shipment, received from the Brazilian government loaned an estimated US$96 million, is to complement the government’s flagship agricultural campaign, “Plant for Food and Jobs”.
Farm implements include heavy combine harvester (wheeled), high horsepower tractors, tractor attached implements, tractor trailer (transportation), tractor mounted planting/seeding equipment, chemical applicator and post-harvest/crop processing equipment, grain huller, rice cutter, tillers, corn threshers.
More food program
“We are taking the latest batch of machinery from the Brazilian government under the More Food program, under which the Brazilian government has loaned the government of Ghana US$96 million in three tranches. What you see here this morning is the last installment of the third installment worth US$30 million,” the sector minister said after a visit to inspect the machinery in Accra.
He further explained that the cargo, which was still being evacuated from the port, was essential as it would help improve harvesting, post-harvest and value addition, adding that “it will also help the country achieve the objectives of the plantation. for Food and Jobs Initiative which revolves around five modules namely food security, arboriculture to diversify out of cocoa, the greenhouse village, livestock and agricultural machinery modules.
Dr Akoto said the machines had attracted a 40% subsidy to support the agricultural industry, saying the decision was made under the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. He said MoFA would take note of the service delivery they were providing to farmers to determine how much they would expand the facilities.
