Government urged to promote cultivation of sisal in Dangme

Accra, July 26, GNA - A researcher has urged the Government to invest in large-scale cultivation of sisal plant in the Dangme West District as a strategy to reduce poverty in the District.

Mr Moses Sebastian Azameti of the Institute of Adult Education said the plant was common in some parts of the Dangme West District and, therefore, recommended its cultivation in the area.

In an interview with the GNA, Mr Azameti said the cultivation of the plant would bring good results to both the local community and the cocoa industry, as it is converted into fibre strands used in the production of cocoa sacks.

"At present, Ghana imports jute fibre from India to manufacture cocoa sacks while the raw material could be produced locally," he noted.

Mr Azameti said Dangme West, one of the largest districts of the Greater Accra Region, was densely populated and had been classified as the most vulnerable community in terms of poverty of all types. He urged the Government to go into cultivation of the sisal plant as part of the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy as that would eventually create employment opportunities for the youth and also reduce rural-urban migration.