The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has pledged to maintain the legacy of modernising agriculture in the country through budgetary allocation for all agriculture colleges. The move is part of a wider effort to sustain policies like the Technical Education Development for Modernised Agriculture in Ghana (TEDMAG), which has been deemed a success.
Speaking at the final stakeholder meeting of the TEDMAG project, Deputy Agric Minister Yaw Frimpong Addo emphasised the importance of maintaining the facilities of agriculture colleges to ensure that they remain functional for years to come. He added that, once the facilities have been upgraded, the ministry will allocate funds for maintenance in its annual budget.
The TEDMAG project was initiated by the Government of Canada in 2017 with a budget of 135 million dollars. Its main aim was to revamp the curriculum at agric colleges and complement Ghana’s modernising agriculture agenda. According to Kathleen Flynn-Dapaah, Head of Cooperation at the High Commission of Canada in Ghana, the TEDMAG project was focused on empowering women in agriculture along the value chain.
“The governments of Canada and Ghana have been working under this project to promote gender equality. Through our partnership with government of Ghana and non-governmental organisations, women in agriculture in Ghana are empowered in various ways. They have higher levels of financial autonomies allowing them to buy lands, to purchase rudimentary agro-processing machines, to expand their agro-processing activities and with the extra resources to improve their homes,” she intimated.
Cedonia Akanpisi, a student of Damongo Agriculture College and a beneficiary of the TEDMAG project, shared her experience of how the initiative has impacted her life. She said that the project has changed the negative perception of agriculture and has inspired great zeal and passion for the field.
The commitment of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to maintain the facilities of agriculture colleges is a crucial step towards ensuring that the TEDMAG project’s successes are sustained. It is also an indication of the government’s determination to modernise agriculture in the country and promote gender equality in the sector.
Furthermore, it is expected that the modernisation of agriculture in Ghana will attract more investment to the sector and improve the country’s overall economic prospects. Agriculture is the backbone of the Ghanaian economy, and the country’s government recognises the need to make strategic investments to ensure that the sector remains competitive in the global market.
The pledge to maintain the facilities of agriculture colleges will also support the government’s efforts to create job opportunities for young people in the country. With the right investments and policies in place, Ghana’s agriculture sector can create a sustainable source of employment and income for its citizens.
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s commitment to maintain the facilities of agriculture colleges is a positive step towards the modernisation of Ghana’s agriculture sector. It demonstrates the government’s determination to sustain the successes of the TEDMAG project and promote gender equality in the sector. This move will not only create job opportunities for young people but also attract more investment to the sector and improve the country’s economic prospects.