[ad_1]
The presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, says that promoting agribusiness will be one of the top priorities of his next administration.
Addressing a meeting of bosses and people after the commissioning of a cassava processing factory in Kintampo on Friday as part of his 3-day tour of the Bono Este region, Mahama said this will ensure a real transformation for the agricultural sector by increasing farmers’ profits and creating more jobs.
As part of the agricultural sector transformation plan, Mahama said that the name of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture will be changed to Ministry of Agriculture and Agroindustry to reflect the special emphasis on creating more business opportunities for farmers.
He explained that under the plan, the government will establish agricultural mechanization centers with modern agricultural machinery to facilitate and make the work of farmers more attractive to young people.
He added that farmers will be able to access the services of agricultural mechanization centers at cheaper rates or on credit and pay after harvesting their crops.
He said the upcoming NDC administration will create crop processing zones where smaller factories will be set up across the country to help process agricultural products and reduce post-harvest losses.
According to his party’s 2020 People’s Manifesto, the standard-bearer said he will establish a Cashew Development Board to promote the interest of cashew farmers.
He said his administration will also establish cashew processing plants in the Bono and Bono East Regions to process cashew nuts for the export market.
Therefore, Mahama urged voters to vote for him in the December 7 presidential election to allow the NDC to implement its manifest plan that seeks to create a quarter of a million jobs each year for the next four years, as well as invest $ 2 billion annually over a period of time. 5-year period to create opportunities for local businesses and stimulate economic growth.
