Accra: Some 5,000 graduates from Ghana's agricultural colleges and veterinary schools are set to be employed by the National Service Scheme (NSS) for a four-year term. These graduates will share their expertise with farmer cooperatives, focusing on agricultural extension services to enhance crop production.
According to Ghana News Agency, these graduates have remained unemployed since 2015. Mr. Eric Opoku, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, announced on the floor of Parliament in Accra that after completing four years with the NSS, the graduates would transition to the government payroll. This initiative is part of the government's broader efforts to promote smart agriculture practices and strengthen Ghana's food sufficiency strategy.
The Minister outlined several government interventions aimed at boosting crop production, such as the Feed Ghana programme and the establishment of Farmer Service Centres in all agricultural districts. Additional measures include irrigation farming, the Feed the Industries programme, a crop development programme, school and institutional farming, and the creation of national farmer cooperatives.
Mr. Opoku emphasized the need for a paradigm shift to enhance crop production, noting that only six percent of the 1.9 million hectares of arable lands in Ghana are currently irrigated. Under the Farmer Service Centres initiative, the government plans to provide agriculture extension services, improved seedlings, fertilizers, and other farm inputs to farmers.
As of March 2025, 29,000 farmer cooperatives have been established nationwide, all of which will receive extension services. Through the School and Institutional Farming initiative, second cycle educational institutions and prisons will be supported in establishing farms to produce vegetables and grains, aiding the School Feeding programme and supplying crops to support prison inmates.
