Preparatory works have started for the second instalment of 100 greenhouses for all-year-round vegetable production in parts of the country.

This follows the successful implementation of the first phase of 100 topvent greenhouses of 6,440 sqm installed in six regions of Ghana, including Greater Accra, Ashanti, Eastern, Central, Volta and Western Regions.

The 200 greenhouse tunnels are expected to produce 32 hectares of vegetables under the Youth in Greenhouse Enterprise project.

The project is funded by the Ghana EXIM Bank and implemented by Agri-Impact Consult, as part of the government’s ‘Planting for Food and Job’ and the One-District-One-Factory programs.

This is aimed at improving vegetable cultivation through increasing investment in greenhouse and other intensive production.

It also aims at reducing the dependency on vegetable imports, creating opportunity for import substitution and more importantly attracting more young people into agriculture and agribusiness to create income and jobs.

The Chief of Staff from the Office of the Okyehene led a delegation to visit the production site of the Youth in Greenhouse Enterprise Project (YuGEP) at Kyebi as they make their first harvest.

The beneficiaries harvested 600kg of cucumbers, bell peppers and tomatoes produced from five greenhouses out of the 10 already installed at Asikam, near Kyebi.

Twenty beneficiaries manage the 10 tunnels with technical support from Agri-Impact Consult.

Market access and marketing facilitation is provided by Fresh Logistics, an agro produce marketing company.

The delegation was delighted at the progress made and commended both the beneficiaries and the Agri-Impact team for successes achieved.

The Kyebi site is expected to produce over 200 tonnes of vegetables in the next three years.

The site has created over 20 direct jobs and more than 30 indirect jobs already.