A leading member of the National Democratic Congress, Kwame Awuah-Darko has said that with a particular emphasis on rice farming, a key pillar of their 2024 manifesto, over 200,000 sustainable jobs will be created while reducing Ghana’s dependency on rice imports.
In an interview with 3news on November 26, he said using the amount of money spent on Nation Builders Corps (NABCo) Trainees would have started a huge rice farm.
Mr Awuah-Darko noted that an amount of GHC700 was spent on each NABCo trainee as monthly allowance. NABCo has since its inception employed 100,000 people, making a total of GHC2.5billion in the last 3 years.
“The same amount invested in rice production would have developed 42000 acres of rice farm,” he explained. He added that “If this was implemented from the start, there would have been more than 200,000 sustainable jobs.”
“The NDC are better managers of the Ghanaian economy due to the party’s consistent track record of investing in the productive side of the economy as against the NPPs track record of wasteful expenditure,” he said.
Mr Awuah-Darko who doubles as a farmer, further stated that the party plans to achieve this through expanding Irrigation Systems, thus scaling up irrigation schemes in rice-producing regions like the Northern, Volta, and Ashanti regions
He indicated that the NDC aims to increase rice yields and reduce the risks associated with rain-fed agriculture.
“Investments in modern farming equipment and technologies will improve productivity and efficiency, allowing farmers to cultivate rice on a larger scale, Affordable loans and subsidies for inputs like seeds and fertilizers will enable smallholder farmers to expand operations and establish rice mills and packaging facilities will ensure that locally produced rice meets international standards, boosting domestic sales and exports,” he stated.
Synergy with the 24-Hour Economy Initiative
The NDC’s manifesto also outlines plans to introduce a 24-hour economy, designed to maximize productivity across various sectors, including agriculture.
This initiative will complement the agricultural investment strategy by:
• Extending processing and manufacturing operations for agricultural produce to operate round the clock.
• Establishing logistics hubs to ensure the seamless distribution of farm produce nationwide.
• Creating night markets in urban and peri-urban areas to boost trade and reduce post-harvest losses.
• Enhancing rural electrification to support agro-industrial activities.
“The 24-hour economy initiative ensures that agriculture doesn’t end with farming. It creates room for processing, packaging, and marketing to operate without downtime, creating jobs throughout the supply chain,” he explained.
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