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Government will soon launch the "Planting for Food and Jobs" campaign to mimick 'Operation feed yourself', Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has announced in the new government’s maiden budget.

Delivering the 2017 Budget Statement in Parliament Thursday, Ken Ofori-Atta disclosed tht some 755,00 jobs are expected to be created whiles 80,000 tonnes of subsided fertilizers will be distributed in 2017.

"Mr Speaker, the government recognizes agriculture as the main anchor of the country’s economy. Unfortunately we have witnessed a steady decline in the sector and production levels have fallen consistently over the years. In the medium term, we intend to modernize the sector to improve productivity and achieve food security and profitability for our farmers.
 
Mr Speaker, in 2017 government will launch the “Planting for Food and Jobs” campaign. 
 
The campaign is designed to encourage all citizens (both urban and rural) to take up farming as a full or part-time activity. It is intended to structure it along the lines of the erstwhile “Operation Feed Yourself” (OFY) programme in the 1970s. The campaign will involve the production of maize, rice, soybean, sorghum and vegetables. Other crops will be adopted in subsequent years. 
 
The campaign will be anchored on five pillars namely:
Provision of improved seeds;
supply of fertilizers;
provision of dedicated extension services;
marketing and
E-Agriculture and Monitoring.

"This initiative is expected to increase the production of maize by 30 percent from current production levels, rice by 49 percent, soybean by 25 percent and sorghum by 28 percent. This will create 750,000 jobs in both direct and indirect employment. 

"The Ministry will import improved seeds to augment any shortfall for the “Planting for Food and Jobs” campaign.
 
"Mr. Speaker, in 2017, the Ministry will continue the Fertilizer Subsidy Programme to help increase the productivity of farmers. To this effect, we intend to distribute nationwide, an expected 180 thousand metric tonnes of subsidized fertilizer," Ken Ofori-Atta revealed. 

OFY...Kutu Acheampong

In February 1972, barely a month after he came to power, Colonel Ignatius Kutu Acheampong and his National Redemption Council (NRC) launched Ghana’s most popular food programme. The aim of “Operation Feed Yourself” (OFY) was to make Ghana self-sufficient in food supply in order to break with the colonial past and correct the “image of a beggar nation”.

Through widespread propaganda in newspapers, radio and television, Ghanaians were urged to engage in agriculture and contribute to the country’s food production. The government supported the programme with subsidized farm inputs, access to credit facilities and duty-free importation of agricultural machinery. What differentiated OFY from previous food programmes was the initial enthusiasm it created in the country, resulting in broad participation of the Ghanaian population.

Thousands of Ghanaians took part in clearing land or helping harvest crops. Urban dwellers were drawn into backyard farming, and large-scale rice production in the northern regions increased substantially. In the first three years of OFY, the production of all key food and industrial crops rose.

Ghana was officially declared self-sufficient in rice production in 1974. This led some authors to characterize OFY as Ghana’s Green Revolution.

What remains to be seen is how the current administration intends rolling out this laudable initiative.