His government was greeted with trending reports of food shortage in Senior High Schools (SHS) across the country, demanding immediate actions just after the swearing-in ceremony held on January 7, 2025.
To avoid shutting down the schools, truckloads of food were disbursed to ensure smooth academic works. However, there are concerns about sustainable food supply to the schools in future owing to the feeding challenges over the years since the birth of the Free Senior High Schools.
To proffer what is touted as an effective solution to the situation, The Minister-designate for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has outlined plans to bolster the country’s agricultural sector including the utilisation of the vast lands in SHSs.
During his appearance before the Appointments Committee of Parliament on Monday, January 20, 2025, Mr. Opoku assured that all SHSs in the country will establish farms. He explained that this initiative aims to harness the country’s abundant land resources and contribute to the growth of the agricultural sector to ensure food security.
“We are also going to encourage institutional farming. Every secondary school in this country will be required to own a farm.”
The Agric Minister-designate additionally stated that, he would work closely with the Ministry of Education to recruit labourers who will assist in the establishment and upkeep of the farms.
Mr. Opoku also stressed that the initiative would not only address food shortages in Senior High Schools schools, but also enhance the quality of meals served to students.
“We will also recruit labourers for secondary schools to help them establish and maintain their farms. If nothing else, we can reduce the cost of school feeding and also enhance both the quality and quantity of the food provided to our students.” He concluded.
Reporting By Stephen Freeman
