Gov’t to expand Feed Ghana Brigade as agribusiness demand surges

Private agribusinesses have begun requesting the services of newly trained Feed Ghana Brigadiers even before their official deployment, highlighting growing confidence in the government's flagship agricultural initiative aimed at transforming food production and creating employment opportunities for young professionals.

The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, disclosed the development during the passing-out ceremony of the first batch of 506 Feed Ghana Brigadiers at the National Police Training School in Tesano, Accra.

According to the Minister, the Ministry has already received formal requests from private companies seeking to recruit graduates of the programme, signaling strong demand for a disciplined and technically skilled agricultural workforce.

Mr. Opoku revealed that private agribusinesses approached the Ministry even before the graduation ceremony, requesting immediate access to trained brigadiers.

"I'm pleased to report that even before today's passing-out ceremony, the Ministry has begun receiving requests from agribusiness enterprises seeking the services of these brigadiers. One company has requested 20 brigadiers, while another has requested two of them."

He described the early interest as a significant endorsement of the Feed Ghana Brigade initiative and evidence that the private sector recognises the value of professionally trained agricultural personnel.

According to the Minister, the growing demand reflects confidence in the quality of training provided under the programme.

Mr. Opoku said the Feed Ghana Brigade was established to provide Ghana's agricultural sector with skilled graduates capable of supporting commercial farming, agricultural extension services and agribusiness development.

He explained that the programme forms a key component of the government's broader Feed Ghana Programme, which seeks to modernise agriculture, increase domestic food production, strengthen food security and generate sustainable employment for young people.

"This early interest is a clear demonstration of the confidence the private sector has in this initiative and the growing demand for a disciplined, skilled and dedicated agricultural workforce."

The Minister announced that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture will continue to recruit and train additional Feed Ghana Brigadiers to meet the increasing demand from businesses, institutions and farming communities across the country.

The Ministry will therefore continue to train additional brigadiers to meet this growing demand and make them available to any company, institution or organisation requiring their services."

He indicated that future recruitment exercises will target graduates from Colleges of Agriculture and other recognised tertiary institutions with agricultural training.

The expansion, he said, will strengthen agricultural extension services nationwide while creating more employment opportunities for young professionals.

Beyond supporting the implementation of the Feed Ghana Programme, the newly trained brigadiers will provide technical and advisory services to a wide range of organisations and individuals.

Their responsibilities will include assisting private agribusinesses, supporting commercial farms, providing agricultural extension services to households, educational institutions, public sector organisations and faith-based institutions.

The brigadiers are also expected to serve as master gardeners, promoting household food production, improving nutrition and encouraging environmentally sustainable farming practices.

Government believes their expertise will contribute to increased agricultural productivity and improved access to modern farming knowledge throughout the country.

Mr. Opoku noted that the 506 graduates represent only the first phase of what is expected to become a nationwide programme supporting Ghana's agricultural transformation agenda.

He explained that expanding the initiative will deepen collaboration between government and the private sector while helping address shortages in agricultural technical support services.

The Minister said the programme is expected to strengthen agribusiness value chains, improve productivity, encourage youth participation in agriculture and contribute to Ghana's long-term food security objectives.

With private companies already expressing interest in employing the first cohort, the Feed Ghana Brigade appears poised to become an important source of skilled agricultural manpower for both the public and private sectors as the government pursues its vision of building a modern, productive and commercially driven agricultural economy.