In a major development for the agricultural sector, the government's Planting for Food and Jobs Phase II (PFJ 2.0) programme has officially commenced with suppliers commencing the distribution of inputs to designated aggregators across the country.

The PFJ 2.0 programme aims to build on the success of the original PFJ initiative, which has helped increase food production and farmer incomes since its launch in 2017.

The new phase of the programme focuses on strengthening the supply chain, improving the quality and availability of inputs and enhancing extension services to boost agricultural productivity even further.

One of the key suppliers taking part in PFJ 2.0 is Newage Agric Solutions Ltd, the CIMG Agro-Based Company of the Year in 2022. Newage has already commenced the distribution of its high-yielding Lake 601 Hybrid seeds to aggregators assigned to districts in the five northern regions. These aggregators will then facilitate the onward distribution of the seeds to farmers in their respective districts.

"We are proud to be playing a role in the PFJ 2.0 programme and supporting Ghanaian farmers with access to quality inputs. Our Lake 601 Hybrid seeds have demonstrated impressive results, and we believe they can be a game-changer in boosting crop yields for smallholder farmers across the north" said the General Manager of Newage Agric Solutions, Martin Tettey Nartey.

"Our team has been working around the clock to get these high-quality inputs out to the farms as quickly as possible. We know how crucial timely access to the right seeds is for our hardworking farmers, so we're pulling out all the stops to make sure they get what they need."

With the rollout of PFJ 2.0 now underway, stakeholders are hopeful that the enhanced programme will help accelerate Ghana's progress towards food security and agricultural transformation.

The coming months will be crucial as suppliers continue to deliver inputs and aggregators work to efficiently distribute them to farmers ahead of the planting season.