Hajia Alima Mahama, the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) has advised Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the northern part of Ghana to pay priority attention to agricultural potentials identified in their areas to help speed up sustainable development.
She said this would help attract the youth into the agricultural sector and also boost the revenue of local assemblies to bring about economic growth.
She made the call on Monday in Tamale during a workshop aimed at sensitizing the MMDCEs and other stakeholders on the establishment of the District Centre of Agriculture, Commence and Technology (DCACT) at the various districts.
The workshop was meant among others to support the Assemblies to select potential cash crops such as cashew, shea, mango, citrus, cocoa, rubber and oil palm in their areas for aggressive sustainable investment.
The workshop was also to enlighten MMDCEs on the upcoming launch of the government's "Planting for Food and Investment" programme, which was to complement its "Planting for Food and Jobs" policy.
She said the DCACT was to support the MMDCEs attract investment in agro processing at the district levels to add value to agricultural produce for domestic industrial use.
Dr Nurah Gyeile, the Minister of State at the Ministry of Agriculture, called on MMDCEs to help ensure that the programme succeeded since its success would determine the welfare of the people especially farmers in their districts.
He expressed worry on the high rate of bushfires in the north and appealed to the assemblies to help stop this activity to ensure conservation of the land for agricultural purposes.
Mr Salifu Saeed, the Northern Regional Minister, encouraged all MMDAs to setup medium to long term plans to secure land banks for agricultural investment to ease problems associated with their tenure system.
He said MMDAs should not wait for investors to come before they sought for land for them. Mr Saeed appealed to all actors and stake holders to draw lessons for the implementation of the planting for food and jobs policy.
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