Vice President launches GH?24 Million Agric facilities

Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Monday launched a 24 million cedi agricultural input to boost farmers income in the five Savannah Development Authority regions.

This would help the farmers to maximize production with the facility.

The facility includes the deployment of 100 tractors to provide speedy access to ploughing and harrowing for some 16,000 farmers throughout the SADA zone.

Vice President Mahama noted that, Ghana would bring back the good old days of increasing jobs and productivity in the agricultural sector, adding that the inputs would be given to each farming family to increase their production levels.

Apart from the tractors which would be given to the farmers for them to use and pay for the next three years, improved seeds, fertilisers and other agro-chemicals would be provided to enable them to improve on their yield for both domestic consumption and external markets.

Mr. Mahama urged the recipients to maintain the tractors regularly to ensure a long life span of the machinery for other generations to benefit.

He said tricycles would also be provided in addition to the tractors to enable farmers transport their produce from the farms.

SADA was working with VRA for a hydro-electricity dam to be constructed at Pwalugu in the Upper East Region, to control the perennial flooding in the area and also generate electricity for domestic and commercial use.

“SADA is also collaborating with Wienco for the cultivation of the 20- hectare valleys of the Sissily and Kulpawn Rivers under the Sissily-Kulpawn Valley Project”, he stated.

He also reiterated government’s determination to upgrade the Tamale Airport into an international airport under the SADA Master Plan and that the designs for the project had been carried out.

“On the 27th of this month, a sod would be cut for the construction of the Fulfulso-Sawla Road which has already started’, he said.

The Chief Executive Officer of SADA Alhaji Gilbert Iddi noted that the package for the farmers included tractor services, improved seeds (maize and soya), fertiliser, agro-chemicals and a sustained package of training on improved farming methods, appropriate farm management and harvesting as well as post-harvest marketing.

The Board Chairman of SADA Mr. Alhassan Andani said agriculture was the leading economic activity that could chart the path to accelerated development in the northern part of the country.**