The Government is seeking the support of chiefs in the country to help widen the scope of the Planting for Food and Jobs Programme Phase II.

In a press release, the Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, noted that President Akufo-Addo will on Saturday engage with members of the National House of Chiefs as part of efforts to make large tracts of land available for farming.

“Recognized as custodians of land in Ghana, the release of land by our revered Chiefs to their subjects participating in the Planting for Food and Jobs Phase II will significantly address the challenge of access to land for agricultural production and boost the Government agenda of achieving food security for overall national development,” the statement read.

He noted that with about 80% of Ghana's land being customary ownership by chiefs and families, it is acknowledged that chiefs have the power to allocate, lease, or sell land for various purposes.

“The President expects that the support of Chiefs will further enhance efforts to make the programme successful,” he concluded.

This follows the launch of the Planting for Food and Jobs Phase II, on August 28, 2023, by the President of the University for Development Studies in Tamale.

Targeted at building on the successes of the initial programme, the second phase of the programme is a five-year master plan for the transformation of agriculture in Ghana with a focus on modernisation through the development of a selected commodity value chain and active private sector participation.