ADRA to help store cereals

Gomoa Brofoyedur (C/R), Jan. 24, GNA - The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is to help 2,000 farmers nationwide to construct cribs for storing cereals.

Gomoa District would get 200 of the cribs, Mr. Samuel Asante Mensah, ADRA Country Director, announced at a five-day training workshop for 30 artisans from Gomoa and Awutu-Effutu-Senya Districts in the construction of the cribs, at Gomoa Frofoyedur.

Mr. Mensah said the vision of ADRA was to help the people come out of poverty but noted that post-harvest losses, especially through storage was thwarting their efforts.

He said ADRA in collaboration with United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of Food and Agricultural (MOFA) would provide five roofing sheets and technical expertise per farmer who would provide the board for the construction of the cribs.

He said the improved cribs, which could last for over 15 years if well situated and maintained had a capacity of 25 maxi bags of maize. The Country Director gave the assurance that ADRA would link them to prospective buyers.

He said six farmers in the Gomoa and Awutu-Effutu-Senya Districts had been provided with either corn mills or cassava graters, adding that, 25 more would be provided with equipment to enhance their standard of living.

Mr Mensah appealed to beneficiaries of ADRA assistance to repay their loans on time for other farmers to benefit. He said 2,250 families in 75 communities of the two districts had benefited from ADRA support.

Mr Anthony Mainoo, ADRA Technical Coordinator of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said a five-member Community Health and Agriculture Team (HAT), had been trained to serve as facilitators of development in the communities.

He said the Agency had established two nurseries at Gomoa Maim and Mprumem to produce citrus and cassia seedlings for distribution to farmers and advised them to take advantage to improve their financial base.

Mr Francis Kwaku Nutakor, District Director of Agriculture, commended ADRA for its efforts in reducing post-harvest losses and urged the farmers to embrace the improved crib method to maximize their incomes.