Sekyere East prioritizes agriculture to boost economy and development

Mary Boatemaa Marfo, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the Sekyere East District in Ashanti, has reaffirmed the District Assembly’s commitment in pursuing programmes geared at boosting and sustaining the agrarian economy in the area, for social development.

She said more than 90 percent of households in the District, were engaged in crop farming, contributing substantially to the Assembly’s Internally-Generated Funds (IGF), which has necessitated the local government’s commitment and investment of resources to the sector.

“The move would help to guarantee economic growth, poverty alleviation, food security, rural development and the eventual attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”, she added.

Madam Marfo was speaking at the “Meet the Press” event held by the District Assembly at Effiduase, the capital of the District.

The “Meet the Press” event is an initiative of the government across the country that creates a forum for the DCE and other local government actors, to meet with key stakeholders to debrief and answer pertinent questions on projects and programmes embarked on by the Assembly and how government flagship programmes and policies, have been rolled out.

The DCE said the Assembly was on “a right course in the right direction” since investments in the sector were also going to yield increased appreciable results and sustainable productivity to boost the returns and livelihoods of farmers other businesses in the agricultural value chain in the area

Throwing more light on how the Planting for Food and Jobs was thriving in the District, Madam Marfo said, 1,643 farmers comprising of 1,431 males and 212 females were benefiting from the programme.

She said 30,000 cocoa seedlings had also been distributed to 64 male and 13 female farmers, as part of the Assembly’s commitment to the Planting for Exports and Rural Development (PERD) programme.

“Additionally, 3,001 litres of agrochemicals have been distributed by the Assembly to 2,514 and 1,176 male and female farmers respectively this year, to aid the Fall Army Worm control – a major threat to the agrarian economy”, Madam Marfo added.

She said fertilizers such as the Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium (NPK), Urea and others as well as seed maize and seed rice were part of the inputs distributed to the farmers at a subsidized price under the PFJ.

The DCE enumerated some of the educational development projects embarked on the Assembly in the last three years since she assumed office as; the construction of a 3-unit classroom block with office, store room, staff common room and ICT laboratory in a number of the communities.

The communities were; Seniagya, Odurokrom, Mahinso, Motokrodua, Apemso and Okaikrom communities.

On health, she cited the completion and furnishing of the Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compound at the Motokrodua, Ntunkumso and Ahinsan communities, under her watch.

Nana Owusu Asare I, Chief Linguist of the Asokore Traditional Area commended the Assembly and the government for the commitment to the well-being of the people.