398 Kwahu South farmers benefit from PFJ programme

Over 398 farmers in the Kwahu South District have benefitted from the government's 'Planting for Food and Jobs'(PFJ) programme.

The farmers benefited from subsidised fertilizers, seeds, planted maize and vegetables.

Mr Emmanuel Atta- Ofori, the District Chief Executive (DCE), who disclosed this during the Assembly's meet-the-press forum at Mpraeso said the assembly would do its best to ensure that the people benefited from government's flagship programmes to enhance their lots.

The DCE said many of the farmers also signed onto the Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) initiative and were into coffee and coconut production.

He said the district agriculture extension officers also schooled farmers on the use of modern technologies such as proper application of fertilizers, diseases and pests control, planting in distance, planting in time and how to prevent post-harvest loses, resulting in high yields.

Mr Atta-Ofori said the assembly also procured 420,000 coffee seedlings out of which 187,989 had already been distributed to farmers.

He said PERD aimed at encouraging the farmers to cultivate tree crops such as mangoes, coffee, cocoa, oil palm, cassava, coconut and cashews as a form of investment and to produce raw materials to spur the establishment of factories in the District.

He said PFJ and 'PERD initiatives were making significant impacts on the economy as a result of which the country had reduced the importation of some food crops."

Mr Atta-Ofori, therefore, called on the citizenry to support the government in implementing the various initiatives for accelerated socio-economic development.