Newmont Ahafo mine recognised for spearheading agricultural development in Ahafo

The Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council and Asutifi North District Assembly have commended Newmont Africa’s Ahafo Mine for their immeasurable contribution to the stability, growth, and progress of Agriculture in Ghana, especially in the Asutifi North District, even in the face of challenges.

This was captured in a citation presented to Newmont Ahafo during the 38th Farmers’ Day Celebration at Gyedu, in the Ahafo region. The Regional Minister for Ahafo Region, Honourable George Boakye, presented the citation to Newmont Ahafo mine on behalf of the Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council and Asutifi North District Assembly.

According to the General Manager of the Ahafo mine, Mr. Alex Kofi Annin, the Ahafo mine has been deliberate with its social and economic interventions and has sought to provide considerable support to agriculture, being mindful of the agrarian nature of the communities that host the mine.

As has become the practice, the Ahafo mine supported all the five Municipal and District Assemblies (MDA’s) close to its operations, which are, the Asutifi North and South Districts, the Tano North Municipality, and the Asunafo North and South Municipalities, with items and cash valued at GHC337,730.

In accepting the citation on behalf of the mine, Mr. Alex Kofi Annin said, “What we have sought to do is to ensure that our core business of mining co-exists meaningfully with agriculture so that, together, we provide a range of opportunities that improve a lot of our people.”

He added that, with the limited employment opportunities within the mine, agriculture remains an important and sustainable income-earning option for community youth, and the mine is ready to support it.

Asutifi North District Best Farmer is Newmont’s AILAP Beneficiary

The 2022 overall Best Farmer for the Asutifi North District, Halid Amidu Yakubu, is a beneficiary of Ahafo mine’s Agricultural Improvement and Land Access Programmme (AILAP), and a contractor to the mine. AILAP is a livelihood re-establishment programme that was designed to help increase agricultural productivity, improve crop diversity and market access, and ultimately improve food security in the mine’s host communities.

Mr. Yakubu, who started farming in 2009 through AILAP, now has 65 acres of cocoa, 15 acres of plantain, 7 acres of orange, 4 acres of coconut and cocoyam, 10 acres of maize, and 10 acres of oil palm. This is in addition to livestock such as cattle, poultry, rabbits, and goats, among others.

“Halid Amidu Yakubu’s achievement is proof that, with the right interventions and stakeholder collaborations, other people and sectors of our local economy can benefit significantly from the presence of our mine even if not directly as employees,” Alex Anin added.

Newmont Supports 2022 Farmers’ Day Celebration

Mr. Annin further reiterated the need to add value to agricultural products, as a means of increasing income and preventing post-harvest losses. He mentioned that Newmont Africa is actively working with partners and stakeholders to re-vamp the Asutifi Processing and Service Center to help process farm inputs such as chili pepper and ginger for local production and export. Currently, more than 500 local farmers have been engaged to produce pepper and ginger for the Center through an out-grower scheme.