MiDA, EPA sign agreement to support farmers

Accra, July 24, GNA - The Millennium Development Authority (MiDA) on Thursday signed an implementing entity agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Compact Demands of MiDA Compliance to ensure sound environmental practices in the project activities. The agreement worth 854,816 dollars will cover costs related to permission and processing fees of MiDA's community services projects, which include highway projects, trunk roads, feeder roads, field trips for screening, categorization and monitoring.

Others are activities under the agricultural credit programme under the Farmer Based Organisation (FBO) environmental compliance requirements and field trips for training officials of participating financial institutions.

In all, 23 districts have been selected throughout the country with the northern belt having five, Afram Basin having six and the southern belt having 12 districts.

Mr Martin Eson-Benjamin, Chief Executive Officer of MiDA and Mr Jonathan Allotey, Executive Director of EPA signed the agreement. Mr Eson-Benjamin said the agreement with EPA was one of the implementing entities of the 547 million-dollar Millennium Challenge Account funding from the US to transform agriculture and ensure that farming activities assumed sustainable commercial and profitable status through their interventions.

He explained that the activities would include reviewing of FBO training materials on agricultural transformation in relation to proper handling and disposal of chemicals, and preparation of manuals for training the staff of financial institutions to enable them to asses the environmental screening checklists that would be submitted by FBOs requesting agricultural credits.

Mr Eson-Benjamin said potential beneficiaries must respect and meet the Environmental Guidelines in the Agricultural Protection Operation Manual, the Environmental Protection Agency Act, Act 490 of 1994 and the Environmental Assessment Regulations, L.I. 1652 of 1999. "It is for these reasons that MiDA must work with EPA to ensure compliance. By signing this agreement with EPA, MiDA expects the Agency as a collaborating institution, to use its mandate to undertake a variety of activities that would ensure that MiDA meets and complies with the reporting obligations under the agreement." Mr Allotey noted that dealing with environmental issues needed a critical precaution since it was the third pillar of development of the nation.

He said farmers needed to know the right chemicals to use for the farming products that would not cause harm to the health of the population as well as the environment and pledged EPA's support in ensuring that MiDA achieved its compliance. 24 July 08