GREL to assist communities to establish rubber farms

Agona Nkwanta (W/R), Jan. 31, GNA - The Ghana Rubber Estates Limited (GREL) is to assist communities in its areas of operation to establish rubber farms to enable them generate income for development. Mr Marc Genot, the Managing Director of the company announced this on Saturday at the 4th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association of Chiefs on Whose Lands GREL Operates (ACLANGO) at Agona Nkwanta. He said GREL would supply the communities with free rubber seedlings and the project would be undertaken in collaboration with the ACLANGO.

Mr Genot said the communities are to secure lands for the farms, clear the lands for cultivation and obtain proper documentation for the projects. He said the company has installed a treatment plant to control odour from the processing of rubber in response to complaints from communities around its factory near Agona Nkwanta. Mr Genot spoke of the good relations between the company and communities in its catchment area adding through the initiative of ACLANGO, some thorny issues with the communities were amicably resolved. Awulae Agyefi Kwame II, Chairman of ACLANGO and Omanhene of Nsein Traditional Area, commended GREL for rolling out such a plan to assist communities.

He advised the communities to meet with their chiefs on the release of lands before starting their farms to forestall litigation saying some rubber-outgrower farmers, who failed to properly secure lands, are currently facing land litigation problems. Awulae Kwame II also urged the chiefs not to give out lands indiscriminately to the detriment of other developmental needs. He said the Association was not formed to fight GREL but rather to complement efforts to development the area. Awulae Kwame II asked traditional leaders in the Western Region that have links with GREL to be circumspect. He also asked them to abhorred violence in their dealings with the company and urged Association members to channel their grievances about the company to the leaders for redress. 31 Jan. 10