Govt urged to assist farmers to market their produce

Kwahu Nsaba(E/R), Dec. 7, GNA - The Omanhene of the Kwahu Traditional Area, Daasebre Akuamoah Boateng II, has called on the government to initiate a programme that would grant guarantee minimum prices to some of the agricultural produce to assure farmers of maximum profit from their investment.

He stated that since the government's prudent economic policies and programmes have increased agriculture production, efforts should be made to ensure effective marketing outlet for the produce to avoid losses and to eradicate poverty in the country.

Daasebre Boateng was addressing the 19th Farmers Day celebration at Kwahu Nsaba, near Nkawkaw in the Kwahu South District.

He urged the private sector to establish processing factories to process some of the agricultural produce for preservation and export to enhance productivity.

Daasebre Boateng, who is also the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), advised cocoa farmers, who have benefited from the hi-tech cocoa programme credit to pay up after harvesting their produce to enable the Board to purchase adequate chemicals and fertilizers for distribution to more farmers to increase production.

He advised members of the spraying gangs of the mass cocoa spraying exercise to pass their grievances through the appropriate quarters and avoid taking the law into their own hands by assaulting government officials and staff of COCOBOD.

The District Chief Executive, Mr Raymond Osafo Gyan, said the time had come to approach the agriculture sector in a business-like manner to produce enough food for the people and raw materials for the agro-based industry.

He said the District Assembly has provided credit facilities to over 100 farmers through the Poverty Alleviation Fund to enhance production while two major markets have been constructed at Ntomem and Mpraeso to facilitate the marketing of the agricultural produce.

It had also embarked on the rehabilitation of feeder roads to ensure the carting of foodstuffs to the marketing centres.

18 farmers including an agricultural extension agent were presented with prizes including Wellington boots, cutlasses, wall clocks, bicycles, pieces of wax prints and certificates for excelling in the cultivation of the various crops and livestock in the district.

The District Best Farmer award went to Mr Kwame Yibasa, a 62-year- old crop and livestock farmer at Adarkwa, near Oframase, who took home a bicycle, half piece of cloth, five cutlasses, a wall clock, a pair of Wellington boots and a certificate.

The Best Agriculture Extension Agent awards went to Mr Emmanuel Sasu in charge of the Asubone Rail area.