Techiman MCE urges youth to register on the “planting for food and jobs” initiative

GNA – Mr John Kofi Donyinah, the Techiman Municipal Chief Executive, has called on the youth to register and benefit from the “planting for food and jobs”, initiative to improve their lot.

He said the government’s “planting for food and jobs” programme is a realistic poverty intervention policy that focuses on creating jobs for the teeming unemployed youth.

It is also geared at enhancing national food security as well, he said.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Techiman, Mr Donyinah expressed discomfort with the few numbers who have registered on the programme.

He said only 500 people have so far, registered in the Municipality and was not encouraging considering the high youth unemployment rate in the area.

Mr Donyinah said farming is a useful and lucrative business enterprise that could easily alleviate the plight and transform the fortunes of the youth.

He said government and the Municipal Assembly was determined to provide long term support to beneficiaries of the programme to boost their economic activities.

Mr Donyinah said farmlands in the municipality are endowed with fertile lands which can be used for all kinds of crops, adding that the teeming unemployed youth in the area had no justification to remain idle.

He said government has made available enough seedlings, agro-chemicals and other farm inputs to make the programme sustainable.

Mr Donyinah said there would be ready market for farmers under the programme saying food stuffs would be bought at farm gates.

In addition, he explained that the government had engaged several agric extension officers who would reach out to farmers and give them technical advice on good farming practices.

GNA