Agric Minister weeps over bad farm roads

Minister of Agriculture, Clement Kofi Humado has bemoaned the appalling roads linking farms and markets in the country.

The Minister said that due to the poor road network, produce usually rot on the farms, thereby affecting the operations of the poor farmers who work tirelessly to produce the food crops.

He therefore called for effective policies to boost food security in the country at all times. Hon. Humado made these remarks when he toured the vast plantain plantation of Amanfrom Farms Limited at Makyinimabre, near Nkoranza in the Brong Ahafo region in the company of the Minister of Interior, Kwesi Ahwoi and other top officials.

The tour was to offer the Agric Minister the opportunity to assess the farm, the biggest plantain plantation in the country. Currently, the Amanfrom Farms Limited, which was established two years ago and has 50-acres land, plans to expand the farm’s capacity to 100 acres soon.

Hon. Humado said expressed satisfaction with the rate at which Amanfrom Farms Limited was expanding, urging the Managing Director of the farm, Kwadwo Nsafoa Poku and his team to sustain their good works. He said roads linking the Amanfrom Farms to other parts of the country were in bad state, a development which could pose a danger to the progress of the farm.

The farm was initially producing maize but it later ventured into plantain production. It transports the produce to Fresh Pac Limited at Tema which turns them into chips for export.

Hon. Humado praised the company for venturing into plantain plantation and commended his predecessor, Hon. Kwesi Ahwoi for advising Amanfrom Farms to adopt those measures. Minister for Interior, Kwesi Ahwoi, on his part, showered praises on Amanfrom Farms for its hard work and dedication, which had helped to boost plantain production in the country.

He expressed the hope that the success story of Amanfrom Farms, which is owned by an individual, would be replicated by other well-endowed people to help sustain food production in the country.

Hon. Ahwoi also called for an improvement in the roads, urging scientists to boost farming activities. Deputy Ashanti Regional Minister, Samuel Yaw Adusei, tasked the private sector to emulate the shining example of Kwadwo Nsafoa Poku, MD of Amanfrom Farms by venturing into farming to ensure food security.

Dr. Ben Bamfo, Manager of the farm, said the farm had provided employment to the youth of the area, adding that through the help of EDAIF, Amanfrom Farms has educated farmers in the area on the proper and modern ways of farming.