The Special Initiatives Minister and Member for the Awutu Senya East Constituency, Hon. Mavis Hawa Koomson, has hinted that Ghana would export plantain to the neighbouring West African countries as well as the international market in the nearest future.

Speaking at this year’s Farmers’ Day celebration of the Awutu Senya East Municipality, Hon. Hawa Koomson, indicated that almost all the flagship agricultural interventions by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government have yielded unimaginable success, resulting in food sufficiency.

She said plantain which used to be a seasonal crop is now available throughout the seasons in abundance on the market, thanks to the Planting for food and Jobs, subsidized fertilizers and other programs of the government.

She iterated further that it was surprising that a constituency which is taken over by estate developers could still have farmers who farm in multiples of acres.

Michael Asuman Mensah, the Municipal Chief Executive for the Municipality, on his part indicated that government is gradually shifting focus of agriculture in Ghana from subsistence to commercial farming.

He further revealed that the Assembly under year review raised 2,000 coconut seedlings for distribution to farmers and households, benefiting about 446 households.

Additionally, 2,205 bags of inorganic fertilizers and 3,230kg of maize seeds were distributed to farmers to help feed agribusiness investors.

The Assembly further adopted the ‘Pheromone traps’ strategy (used to monitor and determine the level of infestation) to control the Fall Army Worm outbreak this season.

He however, called for the adoption of one household, one coconut concept.

The occasion, which was under the theme “Enhancing Small Scale Agriculture towards Agribusiness Development” witnessed 46 years old Cynthia Agbeko emerge as the overall Municipal Best Farmer with ten other individuals winning awards.

The Municipal Agricultural Officer, Edmund Laryea Koni, on his part revealed that, his outfit distributed 2,200 bags of fertilizers, 3230kg of improved maize seeds, and sizeable quantity of vegetable seeds to farmers.

All other 22 districts of the Central Region celebrated the day across board, with renewed call to the youth to venture into agribusiness. Stakeholders across board also called on policy makers and central government to mechanize agriculture and make it attractive to boost marketing.

Source: Editor/www.newslinegh.com

 

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