Government working with ADB to give farmers loans- Veep

Nyinase (B/A) May 17, GNA - Government is working with the Agricultu= ral Development Bank (ADB) to provide farmers with loans to give the farming industry a boost, Vice President John Dramani Mahama said on Saturday. He said government was acquiring 2,000 tractors from India and Brazi= l to make them available to farmers and interested bodies at subsidized prices, payable by instalments. Mr. Mahama was speaking at a durbar of the chiefs and people of Nyinase, a farming village in the Nkoranza South District of the Brong Ah= afo Region as part of an official tour of the area.

The Vice President used his visit to present relief items to the peo= ple following a recent fire disaster that destroyed their homes and property. The Items included 112 bags of cement, 62 packets of roofing sheets,=

750 pieces of plastic plates, 750 pieces of plastic cups, 120 pieces of plastic bowls, 500 pieces of blankets, 24 packets of roofing nails, seven=

bales of used clothing, 15 bags of rice, two boxes of matches and one bal= e of mosquito net. Mr. Akrapim Baffoe, Assemblyman for the village thanked the governme= nt for the donation of the relief items. He said in the bid to construct a community clinic, the people had moulded 2,500 pieces of sandcrete blocks through self- help and appealed to the government to facilitate their efforts to complete the project. The Vice President also addressed another durbar at Akropong, in the=

district where he presented quantity of relief items to victims of a rainstorm disaster that hit the town recently. Nana Aduamoa II, Chief of the town requested for a housing facility to accommodate staff of CHIPS (Community Health Planning Services), who cate= r for the health needs of the people. 17 May 10