THE GOVERNMENT has begun developing 100,000 hectares of farmland nationwide under an irrigation scheme, as part of the Feed Ghana Agenda, to complement existing projects and boost year-round farming, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has announced.
He said the development of the hectares would be done in phases within the next four years.
Currently, the country has 229,000 hectares of irrigated arable land out of an estimated 1.9 million hectares of irrigable land.
The minister said the extent of irrigated land in the country was woefully inadequate, with some facilities also in poor condition.
Mr Opoku was speaking at the Sustainable Food System Summit organised by the United Nations (UN) Global Compact in partnership with the UN Ghana, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the 24-Hour Economy Secretariat, the Ghana Chamber of Mines and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
The summit emphasises food and nutrition security as central to development, ensuring safe, affordable and healthy diets for all.
It also discussed concerns on resilient, inclusive agriculture that empowers smallholder farmers, especially women and youth, through access to finance, markets, and climate-smart technologies, among others.
The summit was held on the theme: “Building Resilient Food Systems for Economic Growth, Environmental Sustainability, and Nutritional Security in Ghana”.
Source: Nationaltymes.com
