The government is poised to commence the distribution of the initial harvest from farms operated by the National Service Scheme (NSS) as part of its effort to boost food supplies for schools participating in the free Senior High School (SHS) program.

Through the Economic Enclave Project, a component of the GhanaCARES "Obaatan Pa" initiative, more than 500 bags of maize have been harvested and are awaiting distribution to schools.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, conducted a site visit to the Economic Enclave Project site situated in Sekyere Kumawu within the Ashanti Region to assess the progress of agricultural activities.

The project is being carried out in three prominent regions: Greater Accra, Oti, and Ashanti.

At the Sekyere Kumawu farms, managed by the National Service Scheme, a vast expanse of over 20,000 acres has been cultivated, with some crops already being harvested.

The initial phase of the project involves cultivating maize, soybeans, and rice on these expansive fields.

Osei Assibey Antwi, the Executive Director of NSS, emphasized that the produce from these farms is intended to support the School Feeding Programme and the free SHS initiative. He added that an MoU has been signed with the Poultry Farmers Association to expand the impact nationally.

The Education Minister believes that locally sourced food commodities will reduce the cost of the feeding program and enhance its sustainability, as the purchases will be made at more affordable prices directly from the warehouse.

Furthermore, the Minister hinted at the government's plans to reintroduce school farms to provide students with hands-on experience in agriculture, thus contributing to the sustainability of school feeding projects.

Currently, fifty personnel from various agricultural institutions across the country, enlisted under the National Service Scheme, oversee activities on these farms, ensuring job opportunities for them.

The overarching objective of the Economic Enclave Project is to furnish agricultural infrastructure and land development support to young entrepreneurs and the formal private sector, aligning with the goals of the "Obaatan Pa" initiative.