Government asked to build storage facilities

Adaklu Kodzobi (V/R), Nov. 30, GNA- An agriculture expert, has suggested to government to build storage facilities in all district capitals through out the country to enable farmers to preserve their produce to avoid post harvest losses.

Mr. Emmanuel Odoi, an Agricultural Extension Officer in the Adaklu Anyigbe District of the Volta Region, also called on Government to subsidize the prices of agricultural inputs to attract the youth into farming instead of migrating to the cities in search of non-existent jobs.

The Agriculture Extension officer, who said these in an interview with GNA at Adaklu Kodzobi, noted that the high cost of agricultural inputs and the high interest rates on loans prevented some people, especially the youth from engaging in farming.

Mr. Odoi said many farmers were not happy because they could not make any meaningful gains from farming due to low prices of farm produce. Mr. Odoi appealed to farmers to form co-operative groups to enable them to access loans and credit facilities so that they could expand their farms.

Mr. Richard Adzoma, a retired employee of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, lauded government for instituting the National Farmers Day to honour farmers.

He, however, expressed regret that peasants who formed the majority of farmers did not benefit from the event and appealed to government to device a way of rewarding them.

He suggested that similar awards should be instituted for commercial drivers since they also played a vital role in the socio-economic development of the country.