The Asutifi District Directorate of the Ministry of Food Agriculture, (MOFA) has noted the huge increase in food and cocoa production within the district in the past few years. The area, until recently, was faced with food shortages.
According to the Asutifi District Director of MOFA, Kwadwo Asi�Intsuah, the district now abounds in the production of plantain, cocoa, cassava, maize citrus among others. This he said is partly due to the Agricultural Improvement and Land Access Program (AILAP) of the Newmont Ghana Gold Limited in 2006, while MOFA through its Agricultural Extension Officers provided technical assistance.
He said, through the AILAP, Mr Akwasi Asamoah emerged as the 2011 National Best Farmer in the plantain category.
According to the AILAP Manager, MY Duut Nelson, AILAP is a post settlement package to all farmers who have been directly affected by the operations of Newmont since 2006. He added that all the farmers under AILAP have already been paid their compensation and other benefits.
The AILAP he explains, would ensure that, the farmers after they have been compensated for their land and still want to continue farming, would go and search for a land for which Newmont through the AILAP pays for the cost of the land, clearing and maintenance.
The farmers are also provided with agricultural inputs, seedlings and technical assistance.
He said, the aim of AILAP is to assist the farmers to re-gain access to land and receive adequate training for abundant and higher quality of yields. And also increase food production and better living conditions of the farmers.
He said, over 6000 farmers have benefited from the Project so far.
He was however unhappy that, some people after taking the money and the agricultural inputs, refused to go back into farming.
Mr Nelson said, inspite of the success of the project, few challenges have been noted including bad road network to farm gates and farmers have to travel long distances to their farms, insufficient motor cycles provided by AILAP to the Agric. Extension Officers to visit the farms, the erratic rainfall patterns and the activities of �galamsey� operators who seem to be competing for the attention of some of the farmers.
Speaking in an interview with the media, the 2011 National Best Farmer in the Plantain Category, Mr Akwasi Asamoah, who is a beneficiary of the AILAP Initiative, was grateful for the Project. He urged his compatriots to take advantage of the AILAP to better their lot. Mr Asamoah, who now has 17 acres of plantain farm, also has a pineapple, citrus, banana, and rice farm.
He also owns a piggery, fish and poultry farms covering 31 acres of land.
He pleaded with Newmont to assist him to in procuring a vehicle to cart the produce from the farm.
Source: Benny Peprah/Peacefmonline.com
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