[ 2016-09-19 ]

Programme to ensure food security in the north launched
The United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) has launched the Northern
Ghana Governance Activity under Feed the Future
for the next five years to promote food security
in the areas.

The programme is a US government’s global
hunger and food security initiative with focus on
smallholder farmers, particularly women in
Northern, Upper West and Upper East Regions of the
country to take control of agricultural
development in their communities.

A total number of 1.5 million people in the three
regions in the north are expected to benefit from
the project The Mission Director of USAID, Andy
Karas, said last year through Feed the Future the
US government’s global hunger and food security
initiative helped increase the incomes of more
than 100,000 farmers in the three regions of the
north.


He added that more than $35 million was
facilitated for financing more than 500 businesses
in the northern areas adding that this was done by
working with key agricultural leaders.

Mr. Karas said financial institutions were
inspired to assist farmers with the necessary
inputs and loans to increase production. He said
through the programme a beneficiary woman farmer
leads a woman farming group monitoring 75 women
farmers to transform their lives.

The Northern Regional Minister, Abdulai Abubakar,
who launched the project, recommended that the it
should collaborate closely with Savanna
Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) for
effective implementation.

He also expressed the hope that the project will
also focus on local government level institutions
and civil society organizations to build their
capacities to improve irresponsibleness and
democratic government.

Mr. Abubakar said marginal role of women in
agricultural development in the northern Ghana has
affected efforts to accelerate development
outcomes and charged traditional and religious
leaders to address the problem.

He said a significant number of small holder
farmers are women but do not have a voice in
decision making process in relation to
agriculture.

The Minister observed that women lacked the
capacity and also not organized for education on
their issues.

The Chief Party of CARE International, Michael
Alando, said the project is being implemented in
26 districts of the three regions in the north
with a goal to ensure responsive governance for
improved agricultural development of the country.


He said through the project it is expected to
increase food security and nutrition in the
beneficiary districts.

Mr. Orlando said the project is designed to close
the gap towards improved agricultural production
by focusing on governance deficits that have been
identified as hindering investment in agriculture
in the northern areas.

Source - 3news.com

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