Dr. Afriyie Akoto, Minister of Agriculture
GOVERNMENT has decided to distribute 4.5 million oil palm seedlings and three (3) million coconut seedlings to 30,000 farmers in 30 districts across the country next year.
The seedlings project which is expected to be spearheaded by the Oil Palm Research Institute (OPRI) under the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is part of the Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) programme which was launched in January this year.
Collins Augustine Ntim, Deputy Minister in Charge of Rural Economy and Agriculture, Ministry of Local Government, announced this at the 60th anniversary of CSIR at Kusi in the Kwaebibirem District of the Eastern Region last week.
According to him, “the programme through the institute has supplied 1.2 million oil palm seedlings to Ghanaian farmers in 2018 through the district assemblies since its commencement this year’’.
He explained “it is refreshing to note that the OPRI has become our key driver and indispensable partner for the oil palm and coconut components of the PERD programme and it is expected that about 4.5 million of oil palm seedlings and 3 million coconut seedlings will be raised to support about 30,000 farmers in 30 districts for the 2019 farming season”.
He stated that the PERD programme would help to boost export, feed factories with raw materials under government’s flagship programme – One District, One Factory. Besides, it would create more employment opportunities for the youth.
On his part, the acting director of OPRI, Emmanuel Andoh Mensah, bemoaned the lack of technology in agriculture which has been a major hindrance to production.
He further called on government to provide financial support to the institute to enable it carry out its research activities more efficiently.
BY Daniel Bampoe