Rice farmers expose Extension Officers

Tamale, July 24, (Pobia), GNA.- Rice Farmers in the Tamale Municipality on Thursday exposed Agricultural Extension Officers for condoning and conniving with tractor operators to decrease the sizes of acres that they plough for them.

They said for instance, that if a farmer had acquired a 10-acre land to be ploughed, the Extension Officers would connive with the tractor operator to plough less than 10 acres even though the farmer had paid fully for the ploughing of that acreage.

The Extension Officers and the tractor operators then share the difference in payment.

The farmers made this disclosure at a meeting with the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Major Courage Quashigah (rtd) who interacted with them to find out their problems with the view to addressing them. The Minister, who is on a two-day working visit to the Northern Region, had earlier in the day launched the Livestock Development Project aimed at increasing livestock production and improving farm income and nutrition of the people.

The farmers told the Minister that a research conducted on fertilizers supplied to them by the Centre for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development; a private agricultural organization with headquarters in Togo, revealed that 54 per cent lacked the required weight while 46 per cent were fake.

They urged the Ministry to find out the efficacy of fertilizers that are imported into the country since most of them are illiterates and do not know the difference between a good fertilizer and a bad one. The farmers called on the government to subsidise agricultural inputs and find ready market for their produce to help them improve their incomes and repay their loans promptly.

Reacting to their concerns, Major Quashigah assured them that the Ministry would investigate their allegations and address them appropriately He said the MOFA and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning were collaborating to reduce the importation of rice and encourage farmers to increase local production.

To this end, he said government institutions such as the hospitals, prisons and schools had been directed to buy locally produced rice. Major Quashigah said the Ministry had selected five out of the many rice varieties to be developed to enhance their production and marketing.

The Ministry would also establish agricultural mechanization service centres throughout the country to be owned by private entrepreneurs who would provide equipment and tractor services to the farmers. Major Quashigah said the Ministry would encourage farmers' organizations in the country and support them with credit facilities to boost agricultural production.

He urged the farmers to pay back their bank loans to encourage the banks to continue to support them financially.

The Minister also met and interacted with livestock farmers in the Municipality.