National Food basket zone cries for access roads

Accra, Aug. 20, GNA - The Aframsohene (Chief of Aframso), Reverend Nana Baffour Wiredu Asare III on Wednesday appealed to the Government through the Minister of Roads and Highways to urgently improve upon the bad road network in Afram Plans. "The efforts of farmers to produce food and other agricultural raw materials for the nation are seriously being frustrated by the lack of accessible roads in the Afram Plains, the food basket of the nation," Nana Asare told the Ghana News Agency in Accra.

Nana Asare, who is a Reverend Minister and an associate pastor with The New Church expressed concern about the plight of poor farmers who have to suffer double agony for their toil. He said, "they are either cheated by middlemen, who buy their produce at ridiculously low prices or face the exploitation of Shylock Tractor Operators who charge them exorbitant fares for carting their foodstuff to the marketing centres. "At the moment, wateryam, cassava, cocoyam and other foodstuff are getting rotten on the farms, farmers are crying for help to get their harvests to the market centres, the cost of conveying the products... is more than what they get for their goods." Nana Asare has embarked on a crusade against HIV/AIDS in his traditional area through educational campaigns. He has also established an education fund for brilliant but needy children. He said: " I will like to be a source of enlightenment by making parents aware of their responsibilities for their children's welfare.

"I will let them know that they have a responsibility to help educate their children, to teach them the moral values that will make them grow to be responsible citizens."