Wednesday, August 10, 2011

EAST GONJA DISTRICT RECEIVES FIVE TRACTORS TO BOOST FARMING


SOON AFTER the introduction of the Agric Mechanization Centre in the area, Farmers in the East Gonja District of the Northern Region have been supported with five (5) brand new tractors by the government to enable them go into large scale farming.

The Tractors which cost over One Hundred and Ten Thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢110,000) would not only help the farmers in their land preparations, but to also assist them to transport their farm produce to the market centres.

Presenting the equipments to the District Director of the Ministry for Food and Agriculture at a colourful ceremony at the Salaga Lorry Station, the District Chief Executive (DCE) for East Gonja, Alhassan Mumuni said that the provision of the brand new “Holland” tractors was in fulfillment of a solemn promise the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) government made to the Chiefs and people of the district during the 2008 election campaign to make agricultural business more attractive to the people in the area especially the youth.

He noted that the government had seen the frustrations and difficulties farmers go through in ploughing their farmlands and transporting their food stuffs to the market centres, hence the provision of the machines.

Expressing worry about the poor road network in the East Gonja District, Mr. Mumuni disclosed that the District Assembly was striking a deal to procure a new grader to reshape all the bad roads in the area to enable the farmers have easy access to the markets.

The DCE said this, was the first time farmers in the district had been supported with this number of tractors, and thus expressed the hope that the tractors would provide employment to some of the youth in the district. He assured the farmers of more of such interventions to increase agric productivity. Farmers would only have to make a simple request and then fuel the tractors and use them to their satisfaction.

The DCE however, enumerated some of the development interventions the NDC government had so far provided to the people of the East Gonja District especially in the areas of education, quality healthcare delivery, the provision of water, electricity and human resource development.

He therefore called for peace, unity, understanding and the cooperation of all chiefs and their people to enable him succeed in his administration.

Mr. Alhassan Mumuni also took advantage of the ceremony to introduce his new Nissan Patrol vehicle which had been allocated to all DCEs across Ghana to the chiefs and people in the district.

The District Director of MoFA, Robert A. Akologu who received the tractors on behalf of the farmers, commended government for the concern and support for the farmers in the district.

According to him, the farmers in the district had over the years been proven to be hardworking and very efficient, but their major setback was the non-availability of up-to-date agricultural machineries like tractors and combine harvesters to help them expand their businesses.

Mr. Akologu was optimistic that the provision of the five tractors even though still inadequate, it would encourage more young people to go into farming. He pledged MoFA’s readiness to offer the requisite expertise to the farmers to enhance national food security.

After the inauguration, all the five tractors and the DCE’s new official vehicle were sent to the Paramount Chief of Kpembe Traditional Area, Kpembe-wura Haruna Kabasibe who blessed the machines and also commended the government for honouring its promise of supporting farmers in the area.

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