EASTERN REGIONAL MINISTER VISITS FARMERS IN SELECTED DISTRICTS

The Eastern Regional Minister, Hon Seth Kwame Acheampong has paid a working visit to some selected agricultural sites in the Akuapem North Municipal and the Yilo Krobo Municipal on Wednesday 31st August 2022.
The purpose of the field visit was to assess the level of implementation of government agricultural flagship programmes in the Eastern Region, identify challenges confronting the farmers, and solicit support to address the challenges.

The Minister was accompanied by the Regional Director of the Department of Food and Agriculture, Mr. Henry Crentsil, key staff from the directorate, the respective Municipal Chief Executive Officers and their Directors at the Department of Food and Agriculture, and selected staff of the Regional Coordinating Council.

At Akuapim North Municipal Assembly, the minister and his team visited Maroon and Green; the Forty-Eight (48) Green House Unit Structures, arguably the biggest greenhouse in the country located at Amanokrom.
The company was into the Production of all kinds of vegetables (both local and continental), Avocado Farms,s and Packhouse to prepare the harvested product for the market.
According to the Manager of the company, currently, the company supplies hundred percent of their fresh vegetable to hotels, shopping malls, and restaurants in Accra, Eastern Region, and other parts of the country.
The manager indicated that the major challenge confronting the company was employee turnover. According to him, the trained workers, recruited from the community usually do not return to work again or return at their own will after they have received their first wages. Others would come back only when they have exhausted their wages.
The team visited Legacy Crop Improvement Center & Legacy Seed (LCIC) at Otareso also in Akuapim North Municipality. LCIC is a Private company engaged in the production of Foundation Seeds & Certified Seeds, especially maize and sorghum.
The most popular among the seeds was the ‘Aburo Legon’; a hybrid maize seed that produces a higher number quantity and quality yields.
In his presentation, the manager of the firm indicated that the company supplies seeds to farmers across the length and breadth of the country.

He indicated that the seed produced has the ability to withstand and survive in different vegetation and climatic condition, adding that some farmers in the northern part of the country patronize their products.
Hon Acheampong ended the field visit at Kpamu -Akpo, a community in the Yilo Krobo Municipality where he interacted with the Chiefs, opinion leaders, and a section of the public at a durbar.
The conversations centered on how to improve the standard of living of the people in the community whose major occupation was farming. The farmers in the community were predominantly into Cabbage Production.
Presenting their challenges., the Assemblyman of the area who spoke on behalf of the Traditional Leaders and community appealed to the minister to facilitate the construction of the road leading to the town which was in a deplorable state. The community also requested the construction of mechanized boreholes to improve the water situation in the area.
Speaking to the media, Hon. Acheampong reiterated the government’s commitment to improving the agricultural sector of the country’s economy.
He added that the introduction of government flagship programmes such as Planting for Food and Jobs, Rearing for Food and Jobs, PERD, etc were the evidence that affirm the position.
He assured that the challenges revealed by the farmers and key stakeholders in the sector during the tour would be considered and appropriate measures would be put in place to address the issues.
He, consequently, affirmed that the Regional Coordinating Council would continue to monitor and ensure that all government policies and programmes were fully implemented for the benefit of the citizens.
The Regional Director, of the Department of Food and Agriculture, praised farmers for taking the initiative to reintroduce organic fertilizer in their farming practices which resulted in a bumper harvest.
He said the recent war between Russia and Ukraine has made it difficult for farmers to acquire adequate fertilizer for farming thereby having a negative effect on Agriculture.
Mr. Crentsil disclosed that the reintroduction of manure, composite fertilizer, and other organic products has seen the situation improve significantly