Minority probes 932 tractors

Parliament on Thursday became vibrant after the Minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) posed several questions to a Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Ahmed Yakubu Alhassan on how the ruling government distributed 932 new tractors in 2008 and the amount of money expended in the acquisition of the tractors from India.

This was after the NPP MP for Nsuta-Kwamang Beposo, Kwame Asafu-Adjei had asked the deputy minister to tell Parliament the number of tractors and accessories which were imported to Ghana from India in 2008.

In his answer, the deputy minister said 932 tractors and implements, including ploughs, harrows and trailers, were imported in 2008.

He gave the breakdown and the make of the tractors as Farmtrac-60 (200 tractors), Mahindra-705DI (100 tractors), Mahindra-605DI (132 tractors), John Deere 5403 (150 tractors) and John Deere 5303 (350 tractors), saying government subsidised the prices of the machines by 33 per cent for the farmers.

According to him, each Farmtrac-60 cost GH¢24,242, each Mahindra-705DI cost GH¢30,698, Mahindra-605DI cost GH¢22,473, John Deere 5403 cost GH¢26,642 while John Deere 5303 cost GH¢24,408.

He however pleaded with Parliament to conduct further checks in order to provide full information on how the tractors were distributed.