Elijah Adansi-Bonah (in smock) presenting a seedling to one of the beneficiary farmers
NINETEEN SELECTED farmers in the Obuasi Municipality, in the Ashanti Region, have taken delivery of 1,000 coconut seedlings during a colourful ceremony.
The Obuasi MCE, Elijah Adansi-Bonah, personally distributed the seedlings to the beneficiary farmers as part of efforts to help increase coconut production in the area.
The management of the assembly, who are determined to boost farming activities, had already distributed 40,000 oil palm and citrus seedlings to farmers in the municipality.
Significantly, the free seedlings to the Obuasi Municipality farmers, was in line with the government’s Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) initiative.
The government’s PERD initiative, which is already making great impact in the lives of farmers, is also intended at creating a sustainable raw material base for industries.
“We know the importance of this programme so we made sure we resourced the Agriculture Department to get the coconut, grow and distribute the seedlings.
“We also made sure farmer groups were formed and sensitised on the modalities covering the programme,” Adansi-Bonah said about the importance of the PERD programme.
He encouraged Obuasi residents, especially the youth, who are interested in venturing into coconut production to liaise with the Agriculture Department and seek the necessary support.
Adansi-Bonah also announced that a citrus processing factory under the Enable Youth Programme of the One District One Factory (1D1F) policy has been completed, adding “the contractors of the project will soon handover the facility for work to begin.”
Raphael Atta Peprah, the Municipal Director of Food and Agriculture, said “this is only the first batch of beneficiaries. More farmers have been lined up to receive the free coconut seedlings, which were funded by the assembly at a cost of GH¢15,000.00.”
Atta Peprah also advised the farmers to be alert and report any incidence of pests and diseases in their farms to the Department of Agriculture for quick and effective control.
Mohammed Appiah, a beneficiary, thanked the assembly for their efforts to assist farmers and advised his colleagues to take advantage of the programme to improve their livelihoods.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi