Mr. Eric Opoku, Minister of Food and Agriculture, announced the recruitment during his presentation at the Government Accountability Series in Accra on Monday.

He said the Ministry was also enrolling 10,000 young people under a four-year National Service Agripreneur Track, with a portion of each cohort expected to be retained permanently to support agricultural extension delivery.

“Our extension officer-to-farmer ratio is far below standard, and this programme will help close that gap,” he said.

“By investing in frontline services, we are cementing the foundation for modern, climate-smart agriculture,” the Minister added.

Mr. Opoku said the Ministry had procured 540 motorbikes for AEAs, with 150 already distributed to improve mobility and field operations.

He explained that the Feed Ghana Programme had evolved into a national movement, engaging state institutions, schools and faith-based organisations in institutional and community farming.

Interventions under the Programme include irrigation expansion, home gardening, mechanisation support, cooperative development, and value chain strengthening.

On irrigation, Mr. Opoku said 10 new dams had been constructed, eight rehabilitated, and 250 solar-powered boreholes installed across northern regions and parts of Bono and Ahafo.

He said that 50 Farmers’ Service Centres were being established, equipped with over 4,000 machines to support land preparation, harvesting, storage, and market linkage.

Mr. Opoku also outlined progress in the poultry revitalisation agenda, including the Nkoko Nkitinkiti backyard poultry initiative, the Poultry Intensification Programme, and support for anchor farmers to produce millions of birds.

He said the interventions were already contributing to improved food availability and lower inflation.