Mahama launches ‘Feed Ghana’ to boost local agriculture and cut imports

President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled the Feed Ghana Programme, a bold national initiative aimed at revitalizing agriculture, reducing food imports, and encouraging self-reliance in food production across the country.

The programme was officially launched on Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Techiman, Bono East Region.

Addressing the gathering at the launch, President Mahama outlined the vision behind the programme, which combines modern agricultural innovations with a return to traditional food cultivation practices.

“We’ll invest in controlled environment farming, including greenhouse technology and urban agriculture,” he said. “But we’re also going back to the basics encouraging every household to grow what they can eat.”

Drawing inspiration from Ghana’s past, Mahama evoked memories of the Operation Feed Yourself era, urging families to revive the culture of backyard gardening.

attached,please find pictures of areas visted.

OBAPACK GHANA LIMITED -ONION PASTE COMPANY-TECHIMAN.

NADKANSCO COMPANY LIMITED-CASHEW PROCESSING COMPANY-TECHIMAN.

“For those of you who grew up during the Operation Feed Yourself era, you remember how your parents had backyard gardens.

“So when it was time to pound fufu, there was no need to visit the market. You just stepped outside and picked some nyadua, pepper, onion and tomato to make the soup,” he said.

The programme also places strong emphasis on involving students in agriculture, with plans to introduce school farming projects to enhance nutrition and reshape perceptions about farming.

“You’ll grow vegetables to improve the meals and raise cows, goats and sheep to provide meat for students. We want students to begin to see agriculture not just as a subject in the classroom but as meaningful work they can take up,” he added.

Mahama did not shy away from the economic rationale behind the programme, highlighting the country’s troubling dependence on imported meat.

“Ghana imports nearly 400 million dollars’ worth of chicken every year. That is something we should not be proud of. This project is going to change that.”

According to the president, the Feed Ghana initiative represents more than just a policy—it is a movement to make agriculture part of the daily lives of Ghanaians.

“This is about feeding ourselves again and making farming part of our everyday lives,” he said.