The government has deployed 506 officers as part of the Feed Ghana Brigade program to enhance agricultural extension services and provide technical support to farmers and agribusinesses nationwide.
These officers, selected from agricultural colleges and universities, will facilitate the implementation of the Feed Ghana Programme by collaborating with farmers, households, schools, institutions, and agribusinesses to improve food production and bolster food security.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, made this announcement during a pass-out ceremony for the officers on Wednesday, July 8, following their completion of a two-week training program at the National Police Training School (NPTS) in Accra.
He articulated that the brigadiers would act as a conduit between national agricultural policies and their execution at the district level.
Their responsibilities will encompass providing extension services to farmers, coordinating program activities, monitoring implementation, collecting field data, identifying challenges, and offering technical support to agribusinesses and other institutions.
“You arrived here as selected officers and volunteers; you depart as ambassadors of production, discipline, hard work, and national renewal,” he stated.
The Minister emphasized that while the recruits possessed professional agricultural backgrounds, the training at the Police Training School aimed to instill discipline, teamwork, resilience, and a strong commitment to public service.
He urged the officers to collaborate closely with District Directors of Agriculture and existing extension officers, underscoring that the program was not designed to establish a parallel agricultural system.
“You are not being deployed to create a parallel agricultural system. Success will be achieved through cooperation, not competition; coordination, not duplication; and teamwork, not parallel structures,” he remarked.
Opoku also revealed that several private agribusinesses had expressed interest in utilizing the services of the newly trained officers, adding that the Ministry plans to recruit and train additional graduates as the program expands.
The National Coordinator of the Feed Ghana Programme, Bright Demordzi, stated that the training integrated agricultural knowledge with leadership, ethics, communication, conflict resolution, and physical fitness.
He noted that the officers were prepared to complement existing extension services and assist farmers in implementing the program across the nation.
The Director-General in charge of Human Resource Development at the Ghana Police Service, Frederick Kofi Blagodzi, urged the officers to maintain professionalism and integrity in their duties.
He encouraged them to serve as responsible ambassadors of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, emphasizing that their conduct would reflect the investment made in their preparation for national service.
Credit to CitiNewsroom
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