The Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Sagre Bambangi has toured a number of demonstration sites under the Savannah Zone Agricultural Productivity Improvement Project (SAPIP) and the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation in the Savannahs (TAAT-S) being undertaken in all five regions of the North.
His tour was to monitor and evaluate the progress made by farmers who are beneficiaries of the piloted project which forms part of government’s poverty reduction strategy.
The Deputy Minister together with his entourage paid a visit to the Mion, Savelugu and West Mamprusi Districts where test pilots of the project is being carried out.
The SAPIP is a five-year project and expected to cost US$39 million with its main focus on increasing the production of maize, soybean and livestock as a means of reducing poverty and importation of cereals to feed the citizenry.
The US$39 million is a loan facility from the African Development Bank with the government and stakeholders contributing US$11 million to aid in the Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s initiative to commercialize agriculture in the Savannah Ecological Zone of Ghana.
The project is anchored on the government’s flagship Planting for Food and Jobs policy with an estimated 250 hectares of arable lands expected to be developed under the project within the next five years.
The Deputy Minister, Dr. Sagre Bambangi expressed satisfaction at the pace of progress on the farms after his tour on the farms of beneficiaries so far.
The Deputy Minister also explained why the SAPIP project is focused on maize and soya whiles using the occasion to advise the youth to venture into agriculture.
On the issue of the fall army worm, Dr. Sagre appealed to the media to intensify its education on the fall army worm to reduce it infestations on the farms.
On his part, the National Project Coordinator for SAPIP, Felix N. Darimaani said the SAPIP project seeks to transform and ensure the 400 million hectares of the African Savannah land is developed to make Africa a bread basket.
BY: MOHAMMED S. SHAHARAN
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