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Dr Patricia P. Acheampong, a Senior Research Scientist at the Crop Research Institute under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-CRI), has said plans are advanced to introduce the yellow and orange maize varieties into the School Feeding Programme.
She said government's objective in introducing the school feeding programme is to ensure that children eat locally produced nutritious meals, hence the introduction of the yellow and orange maize varieties as they are rich in micro- nutrients.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at Atebubu in the Bono East Region, she said CSIR-CRI is working with the World Food Program, a United Nations Frontline Agency to ensure the success of the program.
Dr Acheampong said with the implementation of the Enhanced Nutrition and Value Chains (ENVAC) project, CRI is putting in place measures to ensure that more farmers embrace the cultivation of the new yellow and orange maize varieties.
The Agricultural Economist said many of the schools in the targeted communities have accepted to include the Vitamin 'A' maize in the Feeding Program on pilot basis adding that so far, ten schools have responded positively.
Some of the communities that have accepted to plant the new maize varieties include Busunya in Nkoranza North Municipality, Mesidan in Techiman North and Sallamkrom, all in the Bono East Region, Bayere Nkwanta, Kobriti and Adwiwan all in the Ashanti Region.
Dr Acheampong said 30 kilogram of orange maize seed has so far been supplied to Kobriti community to begin farm trials.
She called on farmers to plant the Vitamin 'A' maize varieties on a large scale as the success of the entire effort would depend on this.
