ADB to open branch at Tumu to support cotton farmers

Tumu, Feb. 27, GNA - The Agricultural Development

Bank is to open a branch at Tumu in Upper West to support

cotton farmers and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture

programmes, Alhaji Ibrahim Adam, Board Chairman of the

Bank has announced. He said erratic financing of the cotton industry, couple with

lawlessness and indiscipline had been the bane of cotton

farming in the country. Alhaji Adam made this known at a farmers' durbar in

Tumu to launch the Cotton 93White Gold" campaign in the

North West Zone of the Upper West Region on Saturday. He said the bank would make sure that the right things

were done to sustain cotton production in the area. Alhaji Issahaque Salia, Upper West Regional Minister, in

his welcoming address, said during the good days of cotton

production, it helped provided already employment for the

youth in the north. He said the downturn in its operations had affected the

general well-being of farmers and workers. Many workers were laid-off and many people also deserted

the communities during the sad days of cotton production in

the north and therefore, revamping the cotton industry in the

north and encouraging farmers to grow the crop in the 2011

crop season was welcoming news, Alhaji Salia said. He said farmers in the Sissala East and Sissala West

Districts were good cotton farmers and appealed to them to

take up the challenge to produce more cotton to feed the textile

industry and as well better their economies and livelihoods. Alhaji Salia appealed to Olam Ghana Limited to make

available tractor service and farm inputs such as fertilizers at

the appropriate time for farmers to expand their acres. "The safer net is to synchronize activities properly to make

the best out of the unfavourable weather conditions, while

efforts were made to provide irrigation facilities to modernise

the industry", he advised. The Gwollu Kuoro, Buktie Limann, Paramount Chief of the

Gwollu Traditional Area, in a statement, said the cotton

industry failed because cotton companies had always

protected only their interest to the neglect of farmers. "Cotton collapsed because cotton companies were the only

beneficiaries while they left out farmers in poverty. They also

brought in high toxic chemicals, which long effects had

impoverished the lands and with no alternative services for

farmers to make ends meet", Kuoro Limann noted. Kuoro Limann, therefore, appealed to Olam Ghana Limited

to provide potable water irrigation facilities, school blocks and

feeder roads to farmers in the area, as part of its corporate

social responsibilities to the people. He also appealed to Olam Ghana to establish oil extraction

factory to utilise the cotton seed for oil and animal feed for the

farmers. "Olam Ghana should diversify its operations to cover the

Sheanut industry, which also has the potential of promoting the

livelihoods of the people", the Gwollu Kuoro added. Mr Mritunjay Das, Business Head of Olam Ghana, assured

farmers that the company would improve cotton production in

the area through the provision of cotton seeds and the supply

of farm inputs to enhance yields. Improving the livelihoods of farmers through other

alternatives had been the focus of Olam Ghana, Mr Das said,

and noted that the company would provide tractor services at

the appropriate time for early preparation of new cotton fields

and also ensure transparency in all its operations. Mr Das said Olam would pre-finance best cotton farmers

and provide schools and dams as part of its social

commitment to the farmers and would as well encourage the

farmers to engage in other alternatives such as sheanuts

production.