Farmers advised to make fire belts against bushfires

Osei Krom (B/A), Jan. 23, GNA - Nana Baafour Osei, a leading cashew farmer in the Nkoranza District in Brong Ahafo has urged farmers to prepare fire belts around their farms to protect them against bushfires. He advised them to visit their farms frequently at this period when the bushes are dry so that persons who indulge in group hunting would not get the chance to set fire to cause destruction to the environment plantations.

Nana Baafour Osei, linguist of Okatakyie Agyemang Kudom, Omanhene of Nkoranza Traditional Area told Ghana News Agency at Osei Krom he had established about 120 hectares of cashew, which had started bearing fruits.

He said he harvested 400 bags of cashew nuts from his farm by the close of last year's crop season and expressed the hope to reap more than 500 bags this year.

Nana Baafour Osei said he had employed 25 workers to prepare fire belts around the farm and said the main challenge facing him was his inability to obtain credit facilities from the banks to expand the farm.

He appealed to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to assist him with agricultural extension officers to inspect his farm and recommend him for loans from the banks.

He advised the youth to go into the cultivation of cashew so that they could improve their economic conditions, adding that cashew had replaced cocoa in grassland areas like Nkoranza.

Meanwhile, officials from the Nkoranza District Fire Station and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Secretariat have been advised to visit the communities to sensitise the people on the causes and effects of bushfires. 23 Jan. 06