NADMO embarks on agricultural production

Akrofufu (E/R), Aug. 5, GNA - The National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) Volunteer Corps in the Eastern Region has embarked on income-generating ventures in order to sustain its activities as an effective community-based system.

This came to light when the Eastern Regional Co-ordinator of the NADMO, Mr Seth Ahyia, toured farms belonging to some of the Volunteer Corps in the East Akim district on Monday.

The farms visited included those for Agyapomaa, Apedwa, Vanderpuije, Fremponso and Akrofufu where crops such as maize, cassava and okro had been cultivated and cocoa seedlings nursed.

Mr Ahyia commended the volunteers for their initiative.

He said they would be supported to obtain loans to expand their farms and also given allowances from the HIPC Funds to embark on urban forestation projects.

He said the members would be trained in fire fighting and first aid techniques to enable them to form the first line of containing disasters in their communities, pending the arrival of reinforcements from the district and regional task forces.

The East Akim District Project Officer of the NADMO, Mr Ransford Owusu Boakye, who conducted Mr Ahyia round, said there were 36 Volunteer Corps in the district with an average membership of 20.

He said there were plans for the Corps to go into cottage industries such as poultry, beekeeping, snail and mushroom growing to promote their economic well being and also check rural-urban migration.

The Eastern Regional Marketing Officer of the NADMO, Mr Emmanuel Ampofo, assured the groups that ready markets would be found for their produce, both locally and abroad and urged them to ensure quality output that would make them competitive.