The government has deployed 506 officers under the Feed Ghana Brigade programme to strengthen agricultural extension services and provide technical support to farmers and agribusinesses across the country.
The officers, who were drawn from agricultural colleges and universities, will support the implementation of the Feed Ghana Programme by working with farmers, households, schools, institutions, and agribusinesses to improve food production and enhance food security.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, announced this at a pass-out ceremony for the officers on Wednesday, July 8, after they completed a two-week training programme at the National Police Training School (NPTS) in Accra.
He explained that the brigadiers would serve as a link between national agricultural policies and their implementation at the district level.
According to him, their responsibilities will include providing extension services to farmers, coordinating programme activities, monitoring implementation, collecting field data, identifying challenges, and offering technical support to agribusinesses and other institutions.
“You came here as selected officers and volunteers; you leave here as ambassadors of production, discipline, hard work, and national renewal,” he said.
The Minister noted that although the recruits already had professional agricultural backgrounds, the training at the Police Training School was aimed at instilling discipline, teamwork, resilience, and a strong commitment to public service.
He urged the officers to work closely with District Directors of Agriculture and existing extension officers, stressing that the programme was not intended to create a parallel agricultural system.
“You are not being deployed to establish a parallel agricultural system. Success will come through cooperation, not competition; coordination, not duplication; and teamwork, not parallel structures,” he said.
Opoku also disclosed that some private agribusinesses had expressed interest in engaging the services of the newly trained officers, adding that the Ministry plans to recruit and train more graduates as the programme expands.
The National Coordinator of the Feed Ghana Programme, Bright Demordzi, said the training combined agricultural knowledge with leadership, ethics, communication, conflict resolution, and physical fitness.
He said the officers were prepared to complement existing extension services and assist farmers in implementing the programme nationwide.
The Director-General in charge of Human Resource Development at the Ghana Police Service, Frederick Kofi Blagodzi, urged the officers to uphold professionalism and integrity in their duties.
He encouraged them to serve as responsible ambassadors of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, noting that their conduct would reflect the investment made in preparing them for national service.
Source: GNA
