Maize farmers appeal for government assistance

Techiman (B/A), May 8, GNA - Maize farmers in the Techiman Municipality have appealed to the government to assist them to repay loans granted them.

The government, under the poverty reduction strategy through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, gave each maize farmer a one million cedis loan during the minor season.

Mr Kennedy Donkor, Techiman Municipal Chief Farmer and spokesman for the farmers told the Ghana News Agency that even though farmers received inputs such as fertilizers, weedicides and seed maize, most of them recorded low yield because they received the loans at wrong times.

He suggested to the government and financial institutions that gave out the loans to take maize in repayment of the facility under the government's food security programme, at an average price of 300,000 cedis price per bag.

The chief farmer said this would enable other farmers to benefit from the facility.

The chief farmer commended the government for increasing the number of beneficiaries under the support programme but stressed the need for more support to old beneficiary farmers to enable them to pay back old loans granted them and also to take advantage of the new facility to expand their farms.

Mr. Donkor advised poultry farmers to patronize maize and to forget about the scare of the bird flu, which was not yet identified in the country.