A leading member of the National Democratic Congress, Kwame Awuah-Darko, has said that with special emphasis on rice farming, a key pillar of their 2024 manifesto, over 200,000 sustainable jobs will be created while reducing Ghana’s dependence on rice imports.

In an interview with 3news on November 26, he said if one used the amount spent on the Nation Builders Corps (NABCo) Trainees, it would have started a huge rice farm.

Mr. Awuah-Darko noted that the sum of GHC 700 was spent on each NABCo student as monthly allowance. NABCo has since inception employed 100,000 people making a total of GHC 2.5 billion in the last 3 years.

“The same amount invested in rice production would have developed 42000 acres of rice farms,” he explained. He added that “If this was implemented from the start, there would have been more than 200,000 sustainable jobs.”

“The NDC are better stewards of the Ghanaian economy because of the party’s consistent track record of investing in the productive side of the economy compared to the NPP’s track record of wasteful spending,” he said.

Mr. Awuah-Darko, who also doubles as a farmer, further stated that the party plans to achieve this by expanding irrigation systems and thus scaling up irrigation schemes in rice producing regions such as the Northern, Volta and Ashanti regions

He indicated that the NDC aims to increase rice yields and reduce the risks associated with rain-fed agriculture.

“Investment in modern agricultural equipment and technologies will improve productivity and efficiency, allowing farmers to grow rice on a larger scale. Affordable loans and subsidies for inputs such as seeds and fertilizers will enable smallholder farmers to expand operations and establish rice mills and packing facilities will ensure that locally produced rice meets international standards, increasing domestic sales and exports,” he said.

Synergy with the 24-hour economy initiative

The NDC’s manifesto also outlines plans to introduce a 24-hour economy, designed to maximize productivity across various sectors, including agriculture.

This initiative will complement the Agricultural Investment Strategy by:
• Expanding agricultural processing and manufacturing operations to operate around the clock.
• Establishment of logistics hubs to ensure a problem-free distribution of agricultural products nationwide.
• Establishment of night markets in urban and urban areas to increase trade and reduce post-harvest losses.
• Improving rural electrification to support agro-industrial activities.

“The day-to-day economy effort ensures that agriculture does not end with agriculture. It creates space for processing, packaging and marketing to operate without downtime, creating jobs throughout the supply chain,” he explained.

Read also:

Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government has prioritized slogans over action – Mahama

By Benjamin Aidoo