Ghana is currently the highest exporter of yam on the globe, and this is according to the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong.

Speaking on Citi TV’s The Point of View, Mr Acheamong indicated that such achievement is ridden on the government’s Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) programme.

He noted that the programme has ensured that commodities such as maize and plantain are in excess supply.

“Today, we produce more maize than we consume, and we produce more yam than we consume, indeed, we are the largest exporter of yam in the world. We also produce more plantain than we consume.”

“I am saying on authority that we produce more maize in this country than we consume and the fact that the poultry farmers are unable to buy the feed does not mean the programme has failed.”

Meanwhile, the country is recording a decline in the importation of rice. According to the Agric minister, rice importation has been trimmed to 500,000 metric tons of rice per year from  950,000 metric tons per annum.

“We were importing 950,000 metric tons of rice per annum, and today, it is about 500,000 metric tons of rice and so PFJ has halved the importation of rice,” he said.

"Ghana is now highest exporter of yam in the world. Planting for food and jobs program halved the country's rice importation" - Minister for Food and Agriculture Dr. Bryan Acheampong refutes claims Government's Planting for Food and jobs program has failed.Watch his full… pic.twitter.com/9OErghAXQj— CITI FM 97.3 (@Citi973) August 31, 2023