加纳政府重申将农业置于 24 小时经济战略的核心地位，以应对加纳最紧迫的经济挑战 --食品通胀、失业和过度依赖进口。这一承诺在加纳大学西非作物改良中心（WACCI）联合主办的直播会议上，由食品与农业部长 Eric Opoku 先生下重点强调。

该活动是推出沃尔特经济走廊计划的重要平台，该计划旨在利用农业推动加纳经济转型。Opoku 部长强调，迫切需要解决加纳不断增长的食品进口账单，目前这一数字已超过 20 亿美元，并呈每年向 30 亿美元攀升的趋势。

他解释说，这种对进口商品的依赖是塞地贬值的主要因素，并助长了食品通胀的显著上升。

"食品通胀率从 2014 年 7 月的 5% 飙升至 2023 年 1 月的 61%。到 2024 年，加纳被列为全球食品通胀率最高的十个国家之一。食品价格与贫困如影随形；要消除贫困，我们必须解决食品通胀问题。"

这项新农业战略的基石是沃尔特经济走廊计划。农业部长宣布政府计划将 200 万公顷耕地开发为大型农业园区。

这些园区将配备大面积灌溉设施，实现全年不间断生产。目标是为家庭提供稳定的粮食供应，同时为农产品加工业建立可靠的原料基地，使企业能够 24 小时持续运转。

此外，政府还将在全国建立农业机械化与农民服务中心。

这些中心旨在为农民提供一站式服务，通过现代化工具和关键服务提升生产力。农民可获得机械化设备、专业土壤检测、优质肥料、改良种子品种以及数据驱动的农技推广服务。

"科学与农业密不可分。通过机械化、现代化生产资料和数据驱动的农技推广，每位农民都能提高产量。" Opoku 部长补充道。这些举措旨在将加纳农业从自给自足模式转变为商业化、技术驱动的支柱产业。

加纳政府的愿景不仅是实现粮食自给自足，还要将加纳打造成重要的农业出口国。这一战略转型正通过与中国等国际伙伴的关键合作得以推进。

从农田到工厂："养活加纳" 计划

Opoku 部长还阐述了 "养活加纳" 计划（The Feed Ghana Programme），这是政府农业转型议程的另一关键组成部分。

该计划旨在建立农民与工业之间的直接联系，从而为农产品建立有保障的市场，并确保农民及时获得报酬。部长解释说，这种 "直供工业" 模式有望增强农民信心，鼓励他们扩大生产并增加经营投入。

通过提供可靠市场和确保及时付款，该计划旨在消除农业常面临的财务风险。这反过来有望吸引更多人（尤其是年轻人）加入农业价值链。

向农产品加工商保障原材料供应，将使他们能够扩大业务，为失业者创造数千个就业机会。

Opoku 部长引用一位著名农业学者的话，强调了强大农业部门对经济整体健康的基础性重要性。

"如果农业出了问题，其他一切都无从谈起。" 他表示，并特别强调沃尔特经济走廊将成为改变游戏规则的关键。通过战略合作，该项目不仅能保障粮食安全，还将使加纳成为主要农业出口国，为国家经济作出重大贡献。

此次会议是一次多方协作的成果，中方联合主办方包括国际大众合作协会和中非商务理事会，彰显了国际社会对该倡议的支持。中华人民共和国驻加纳大使馆的支持进一步巩固了这一合作项目的多方参与特性。

Volta Economic Corridor Programme Set to Transform Agriculture

The government has reaffirmed its commitment to tackling some of the nation’s most pressing economic challenges – food inflation, unemployment, and an over-reliance on imports – by placing agriculture at the heart of its 24-hour economy strategy.

This commitment was highlighted by the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku, during a livestream meeting co-hosted at the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement (WACCI) at the University of Ghana.

The event was a platform to introduce the Volta Economic Corridor Programme, a key initiative designed to leverage agriculture for Ghana’s economic transformation.

Hon. Opoku emphasized the urgent need to address Ghana’s rising food import bill, which has now exceeded $2 billion and is trending towards $3 billion annually. He explained that this dependency on imported goods is a major factor in the cedi’s depreciation and has fueled a significant increase in food inflation.

“Food inflation, which stood at 5% in July 2014, jumped to 61% in January 2023. By 2024, Ghana was listed among the ten countries with the highest food inflation globally. Food prices and poverty move hand in hand; to fight poverty, we must tackle food inflation”

A cornerstone of this new agricultural strategy is the Volta Economic Corridor Programme. The Minister announced the government’s plan to develop two million hectares of arable land into large-scale agro-parks.

These parks will be fitted with extensive irrigation facilities, allowing for all-year-round production. The goal is to ensure a consistent supply of food for households while providing a stable raw material base for agro-industries, enabling them to operate on a continuous 24-hour cycle.

Furthermore, the government is set to establish Agricultural Mechanization and Farmer Service Centres across the country.

These centres are designed to be a one-stop-shop for farmers, providing them with essential services and modern tools to enhance productivity. Farmers will have access to mechanized equipment, professional soil testing, high-quality fertilizers, improved seed varieties, and data-driven extension services.

“Science and agriculture are inseparable. With mechanization, modern inputs, and data-driven extension, every farmer can improve productivity,” Hon. Opoku added. These initiatives are aimed at transforming Ghana’s agricultural sector from a subsistence-based model to a commercial, technology-driven powerhouse.

The government’s vision is to not only achieve food self-sufficiency but also to turn Ghana into a major agricultural exporter. This strategic shift is being facilitated through key partnerships with international players, including China.

From Farm to Factory: The Feed Ghana Programme

Hon. Opoku also shed light on the Feed Ghana Programme, another critical component of the government’s agricultural transformation agenda.

This programme is designed to create a direct link between farmers and industries, thereby establishing assured markets for agricultural produce and guaranteeing prompt payment for farmers. The Minister explained that this direct-to-industry model is expected to build farmer confidence, encouraging them to expand their production and invest more in their operations.

By providing a reliable market and ensuring timely payments, the programme aims to eliminate the financial risks often associated with farming. This, in turn, is expected to attract more people, particularly the youth, into the agricultural value chain.

The assured supply of raw materials to agro-processors will enable them to expand their operations, creating thousands of jobs for the unemployed. 

The Minister underscored the fundamental importance of a robust agricultural sector to the overall health of the economy, quoting a renowned agricultural scholar. “If agriculture goes wrong, nothing else will have the chance to go right,” he said, emphasizing that the Volta Economic Corridor, in particular, will be a game-changer.

Through strategic collaborations, it will not only address food security but also position Ghana as a major agricultural exporter, contributing significantly to the nation’s economy.

The meeting was a collaborative effort, with co-hosts from China, including the International Association for Popular Cooperation (IAPC) and the China-Africa Business Council, signalling international support for the initiative.

The support from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Ghana further cemented the collaborative nature of the programme.

来源：Vaultz News

翻译：无尽夏

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