Mechanization Centres to be established in all 170 districts

Ejura (Ash), Oct. 15, GNA - Agricultural Mechanization Centres are to be established in all 170 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the country to make tractor services accessible to farmers. Mr Yaw Effah-Baafi, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, said so far 80 of the Centres had been set up and they are operational. Speaking during his inspection of a 400-hectare maize block farm at Ejura in the Ejura-Sekyedumase District, he said each of them has been supplied with at least five tractors and accessories. The Deputy Minister encouraged farmers to take advantage of the tractors to expand their farms to increase production. There is also a sales package under which individual farmers could buy tractors on soft terms.

Under this, the Government subsidizes 30 per cent of the cost and the farmer pays 50 per cent of the balance as deposit with the remaining amount spread over a three-year period.

Already more than 500 tractors had been sold to individual farmers through this arrangement.

Mr Effah-Baafi said a database of all farmers was being built by the Directorate of Agricultural Extension Services of the Ministry, for effective planning and outreach farming programmes. Besides, the Ministry is strengthening its collaboration with the assemblies, private sector, farmer based organizations and development partners to achieve maximum growth of the agricultural sector.