AGRICULTURE

Tano South honours farmers
Mr. Kyei Baffour Owusu Achiaw, the Tano South Municipal Director of Agriculture said the celebration of the farmers’ day helps farmers to access their strengths and weaknesses.

Date Created : 12/18/2018 7:53:27 AM : Story Author : Barnie K. Agyeman/Ghanadistricts.com

He called on farmers to use modern method of farming to ensure they acquire higher yields. He emphasized that, government has introduced a number of policies at the agricultural sector to ensure agriculture becomes attractive for the younger generation to invest their resources and urged all gathered farmers to support government to implement its policies such as planting for food and jobs.

Mr. Baffour said government has distributed fertilizers and improved seeds to the offices of MOFA where coupons are issued to farmers to purchase fertilizers at a reduced price.

He said one of the reasons why coupons are given to farmers before the purchase of the fertilizers is to reduce the incident of frauds, adding, policies like planting for food and jobs has helped farmers improve yields and stressed that government through Tano South Municipal Assembly will continue to play a leading role to support farmers to undertake oil palm plantation and other cash crops in the Municipality.



He stressed that one of the major problems confronting farmers in the municipality is land acquisition and informed custodians of the land to make a flexible land agreement to ensure farmers get lands to undertake farming activities.

The MP for the area, Benjamin Yeboah Sekyere assured that through the implementation of the ‘one district, one factory policy’ the challenge of market for agriculture produce would be addressed, and farmers would have good market for their produce.

He said since government assumed office, it has been able to introduce intervention programmes such as the planting for food and jobs, free senior high school policy, NABCO programme, expansion of LEAP and many other policies to improve the living standards of people and informed those who want to politicize government policies and programmes should eschew.



Water and Sanitation
On water, he said government through the Tano South Municipal Assembly has constructed a number of boreholes in some of the communities in the municipality to ensure people acquire good drinking water. Also, he said government has partnered with the private sector to embark on toilet facilities projects in the municipality and urged that currently, the municipality can boost of many toilet facilities which eventually help to address some sanitation issues confronting the Municipality.

Roads
On roads infrastructures, he said most of the roads in the Municipality have been approved to be constructed or tarred by government in 2019 and hoped that the Ministry of Roads and Highways will expedite action to award the roads to contractors after the procurement processes have been completed. He said when the roads are completed, they will help farmers to transport farm produce to the urban centres for sales and also facilitate business transactions in the Municipality.



The MCE on his part said Ghana is celebrating the 34th Farmers’ Day with the theme ‘’ Moving Ghana Beyond Aide’’ and emphasized that Ghanaians need to work hard to ensure they produce more food to feed the country and export surpluses to the other countries for sale. He said Ghana Beyond Aide Agenda can be achieved in a holistic approach and hinted that not too long ago, Ghana Export Promotion Company exported Ghana made products to the other parts of African Countries for sale and informed farmers to continue to produce more farm produce to be used to produce different things by some Ghanaian industries.

He said an importation of tomatoes from Burkina-Faso to Ghana reduces the government of Ghana’s revenue and hinted that government is working assiduously to implement its one village, one dam project to ensure farmers are able to produce more tomatoes and other arable crops to feed the country. He said government is putting measure in place to acquire financial assistance from the European countries to support farmers in the Municipality to undertake different kinds of farming such as oil palm, cocoa and cashew plantations.



Creation of New District
On the creation of the Ahafo Region, he said fifty percent (50) of the total voters registered to embark on the referendum must acquire eighty percent (80 %) to ushering the creation of the Ahafo Region by the electoral commission and informed all legible voters to become united and vote YES for the region to be created.

Mr. Aforo Daniel was adjudged the best farmer in the Municipality and was awarded with the items such as the tricycle popularly known as ‘’aboboyaa’’ and other items and urged his fellow farmers to work hard to make them be recognized in an ensuing years.