The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has announced plans to introduce a Land Banks Initiative to secure land for large-scale agricultural production and investment.
Sector Minister Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah revealed the initiative during a working visit by Vice President Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang to the Ministry.
According to Mr. Buah, the Land Banks initiative aims to protect and make available suitable lands for strategic agricultural activities, while removing the land acquisition challenges that often deter investors.
“We are also working on Land Banks. If we are saying that we want to invest in agriculture, how do we secure these lands for palm production and huge cocoa production?
“We are taking that step to ensure that when you bring investors, they don’t have headaches of where to get the land for palm production. We are working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Finance,” he said.
Vice President Prof. Opoku-Agyemang, meanwhile, urged the Ministry to ensure that the Land Banks system is inclusive, particularly for vulnerable groups such as women.
“The Land Banks, remember the women. There are many women who want to farm but who for all kind of reasons do not have access to land. So, if we can reserve some of these land banks for them, they can also contribute their own capabilities to the economy,” she said.
