2023 Budget: Ghana to implement Economic Enclave Project for agricultural productivity

The Government is pursuing an Economic Enclave Project to provide support for the cultivation of up to 110,000 acres of land in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Central, Savannah and Oti Regions. 

The initiative, under the Ghana CARES Programme, seeks to expand the production in rice, tomato, maize, vegetables and poultry. 

Mr. Ken Ofori-Atta, the Finance Minister, who disclosed this in the 2023 Budget Statement and Economic Policy of the Government on Thursday, said the initiative was being led and coordinated by the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) in collaboration with other Government institutions. 

The institutions are: the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Ministry of Energy, Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA), 48 Engineers Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) under the Ministry of Defence, the National Entrepreneurial and Innovation Programme (NEIP) and the National Service Secretariat (NSS). 

The Ghana CARES Programme is a GH¢100 billion development initiative designed by the Government to mitigate the economic challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. 

It is meant to stabilise, revitalise and transform the country’s economy to create jobs and prosperity for the citizenry over a three-year period, with focus on commercial Farming, light manufacturing, fast-track digitisation, housing and construction. 

Mr. Ofori-Atta indicated that the Economic Enclave Project would engage interested private sector actors to expand agricultural production and processing in the Asutuare-Tsopoli Economic Enclave area based on a partnership framework. 

The same approach will be adopted for the lands secured in the Ashanti, Central, Savannah and Oti Regions.