President Akufo-Addo has validated the generally held belief that the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) initiative, launched by the government with much ceremony seven years ago, has failed.
He has now set his eyes on ice-bound and war-torn Ukraine to make up for grain and maize for the Ghanaian market.
Although Ukraine has snow for many months in the year and is currently at war, it still remains a major producer of grain and maize.
Ukraine exported 5.2 million tonnes of grain and maize in March, 5.8 million tonnes in February and 5.3 million tonnes in January this year, according to the BBC.
Before Russia’s invasion in 2022, the country was sending about 6.5 million tonnes abroad every month.
This is in stark contrast to Ghana. In 2022, maize production in Ghana reached 3.3 million metric tons, the highest since 2010. The quantity of maize produced in the country amounted to 2.9 million metric tons in 2019, following a rising trend visible since 2016. Maize is a staple food crop in Ghana (Source; Statistica).
In effect, even at war and ice bound, Ukraine is producing twice as much maize in a month as Ghana is producing in a whole year, after seven years of implementing the Planting for Food and Jobs Initiative.
Ghana’s delegation, led by President Akufo-Addo, met with the Ukrainian Delegation on the sidelines of the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland.
(Below is a news item from the Global Peace Summit).
MAIZE IMPORTS FROM UKRAINE
Akufo-Addo Engages Ukraine President Zelenskyy on Agriculture Exports To Ghana
Thursday, June 20, 2024 at 8:58 AM
by Delali Adogla-Bessa
President Nana Akufo-Addo met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland Ghana was invited to join the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula, which seeks to end the Russia-Ukraine war.
Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to Ghana for its steadfast support of Ukraine’s sovereignty amid the war President Nana Akufo-Addo met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland to discuss peace and bilateral cooperation issues.
The press service of the Ukrainian head of state noted that Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to Ghana for its steadfast support of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
During their talks, they explored further implementation of the Peace Formula and the possibility of convening a dedicated meeting to address specific points of the peace plan.
They also tasked their respective teams with initiating practical measures to facilitate the exportation of Ukrainian agricultural products to Ghana.
REACTION
Ghana’s decision to seek even more food imports from Ukraine brings into stack relief it’s much vaunted ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ program, which was projected to make the nation self-sufficient in food production.
It also brings into sharp focus the nation’s current struggles to maintain the strength of its currency, the Ghana Cedi, which has been touted as one of the worst-performing on the face of the planet.
