Mr John Desmond Sowah Nai, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ga West Municipal Assembly (GWMA), has urged residents, farmers, traditional leaders and institutions in the Assembly to unite in transforming the Municipality into a model of agricultural excellence for the entire nation.
He said Ghana, though blessed with fertile land, industrious people, and very hard-working communities, still carried a staggering food import burden, such that this dependence on external supply weakened the economy, drained foreign exchange, and deprived Ghanaians of sustainable livelihood.
The MCE was speaking at the 41st Municipal Farmers’ Day celebration held at Manchie, in the Greater Accra Region.
The celebration was on the theme: “Feed Ghana, Eat Ghana, Secure the Future.”
Mr Sowah Nai said the time for lamenting challenges was over, and that a new era of agricultural confidence and capacity-building had begun.
He highlighted key interventions under the government’s Feed Ghana Programme, describing it as the engine driving the country’s agricultural transformation.
He said the Ministry of Food and Agriculture was recruiting 400 agricultural extension agents nationwide to close the longstanding extension gap and provide reliable, on-the-ground support to farmers.
“To improve mobility and reach, the Ministry has procured 540 motorbikes, with 150 already distributed to officers,” he added.
He emphasized that these measures represented real political commitment, not rhetoric, to strengthening agricultural structures, systems, and human capacity.
Mr Sowah Nai also stressed the importance of youth involvement in the sector, revealing that 10,000 young people would be enrolled through a National Service Agripreneur Track, with some to be retained permanently.
He said that signaled that agriculture was no longer a last resort but a viable and promising career path for Ghana’s youth.
The MCE encouraged residents to embrace the programme, adding that the Assembly would fully support the poultry component of Feed Ghana.
Mr Sowah Nai reiterated the government’s commitment to value addition through agro-processing, modern packaging and improved storage systems, a move that would significantly reduce post-harvest losses, create jobs and make local produce more competitive.
He acknowledged the crucial role of women and market queens in the food distribution chain, assuring them of continued investment in storage infrastructure, cold-chain systems and market linkages to ensure their work translated into greater profit and stability.
The MCE appealed to chiefs, community leaders and opinion leaders to help mobilize residents toward modern agricultural practices, including backyard gardening and small-scale mixed farming.
He urged them to help reshape the mindset of young people, encouraging them to see agriculture not as hardship or punishment, but as a pathway to wealth creation.
Mr Afenyo Kweku Sedem, Member of Parliament, Amasaman Constituency, praised farmers for their resilience despite the impact of climate change, market volatility, and land tenure challenges, describing their contribution as the bedrock of Ghana’s development.
He urged chiefs and landowners to balance development needs with the preservation of farmlands, noting that Ghana’s food security depended on it.
“I reaffirm our commitment to supporting farmers with resources, capacity building, and improved services because your efforts deserve the utmost respect and unwavering support,” the MP added.