Achiase District farmers to receive certified palm oil seedlings

Mr Victor Badger, the Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) Desk Officer in the Achiase District, has said about 15,000 certified improved oil palm seedlings will be distributed to the farmers by September 2020.

Out of the 15,000 seedlings, 4,000 would be distributed to farmers at Achiase while 3,000 will go to Aperade and another 3,000 to Akenkausu.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Achiase in the Eastern Region, Mr Badger said the remaining 5000 seedlings would be given to other farmers in the District.

About 250 farmers are expected to benefit from the improved oil palm seedlings to boost local production.

Mr Badger indicated that the Department of Agriculture was expected to train the beneficiaries on how to nurture the seedlings.

The training would include land size selection, lining and pegging, manual or chemical weeding, and inter-cropping and disease control.

Extension officers would monitor the farmers to ensure best agronomic practices are followed for better yields.

Mr Sarfo Kafui, the Achiase District Agriculture Director, said the PERD was introduced to increase Ghana's revenue from the exportation of agricultural products and also improve the nutritional wellbeing of the people.

He urged the youth to invest in oil palm plantations to support government’s vision of improving agriculture production towards food security.