Akomadan tomato farmers receive a boost

Kumasi, Sept. 4, GNA - An irrigation project to help boost tomato production at Akomadan in the Offinso North District would get underway in October Mr. Kojo Appiah-Kubi, the District Chief Executive, has said. It is part of an intervention to address the problem associated with the area's unreliable rainfall and the resultant low productivity. The Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Irrigation Development Authority of Ghana and the district assembly would jointly undertake the project.

Mr Appiah-Kubi told the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi on Thursday that the Irrigation Development Authority had already procured pumping machines, hoses and pipes to take water from the Akomadan Dam to irrigate about 1,600 acres of land for tomato growing. He said there were plans to extend the project to cover an additional 800-acre land to increase the production levels. Mr Appiah-Kubi said the tomato industry had the potential to raise the standard of living of the people in the area if well developed and therefore called on corporate bodies and the nation's development partners to invest in the industry.

He said it was unfortunate that as a result of the unpredictable rainfall pattern, many farmers had re-located to Techiman from Akomadan to farm because Techiman has a relatively good irrigation system. Mr. Appiah-Kubi said he was hopeful that the project would in the long term encourage the youth to go into farming.