Work has already begun on the refurbishment of state-owned warehouses across the country as the Ministry of Food and Agriculture prepares for an expected bumper harvest from the Planting for Food and Jobs Campaign.
The National Food Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO) is leading the charge to revamp over 100,000 metric tonnes capacity warehouses throughout the country.
The President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo Addo, during the launch of the flagship Agricultural Policy “Planting for Food and Jobs” camapign on April 19th, 2017, at Goaso in the Brong Ahafo Region, revealed government’s plans to create additional capacity warehouses across the country to store excess produce.
The government additionally intends to construct 1,000 capacity warehouses in each of the 216 districts as his administration moves to tackle food security, modernize the agricultural sector and also create jobs for the teeming youth in the country.
The Food and Agricultural Ministry under the leadership of Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has commenced earnest preparations towards realizing this dream.
A Three-Member Committee, headed by the Acting CEO of NAFCO, Abdul Wahab Hannan, has almost completed an assessment visits to all abandoned cocoa sheds across the country which are expected to be converted to warehouses for food storage.
The Committee has so far visited Brong Ahafo, Western, Central and Volta Regions. They are expected to visit Ashanti and Eastern Regions in the coming weeks.
The feasibility visit was to enable the Committee ascertain the availability, conditions, capacity and the extent of work that needs to be undertaken in order to bring these sheds in shape for operation.
The Acting CEO in a brief interview, said the Committee identified hundreds of abandoned cocoa sheds with an anticipated capacity of more than 100,000 metric tonnes.
He therefore pledged that work will soon on their refurbishments once the second phase of the feasibility is completed.
