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Tomato farmers in, the Upper East Region will not experience any glut during harvest this year, as was the case in previous years. This is because they can count on ready market for their produce, Mr Mark Woyongo, the Regional Minister, assured at the Regional�s maiden Town Hall Meeting (THM) in Bolgatanga. The meeting, the second to be held in the north after the first in Tamale, focused on issues concerning the Bolgatanga Municipality. Answering a question on the government�s Youth-in-Agriculture policy, Mr Woyongo said plans were far advanced by the Ministry of Trade and Industry to resource the Northern Star Tomato Factory at Pwalugu, near Bolgatanga to purchase tomatoes produced in the region. He said, Trusty Foods, a food processing company in Tema had declared its intention to buy tomatoes from the farmers this year. He said between 600 and 900 youth in the Municipality had so far benefited from the Expanded Soya and Rice Programme of the Ministry of Agriculture. Mr Woyongo said the Savannah Accelerated Development Programme which would take off next year, would give a further boost to the agricultural sector and make it more lucrative and attractive to the youth. Mr Espona Harry Ayamga, the Bolgatanga Municipal Chief Executive, lamented over the negative, attitude of the residents noting that it was hampering efforts by the assembly and Zoomlion Company to keep the municipality clean. He said the indiscriminate dumping of refuse had led to the chocking of drains thus preventing the free flow of waste water. �This has created breeding ground for mosquitoes, resulting in a high incidence of malaria and other communicable diseases,� he said. Mr Ayamga reminded the people that the region would be 50 years old next year and Bolgatanga, as the regional capital and gateway to the region, would host the climax of the Golden Jubilee celebration. He therefore stressed the need for the residents to clean their environment and to practice good sanitation to ensure that Bolgatanga lived up to its status as the regional capital. Mr. Mahama Ayariga, Presidential spokesman, said the Presidency would monitor the THMs to ensure that the assemblies and the Chief Executive remained focused on issues that would be raised by the people. He said it was in view of the concerns raised at the Tamale meeting that plans had been made to airlift Muslim pilgrims from the north to Accra and to Mecca, to alleviate their sufferings. During the open forum, questions on the economy, education, health and social issues were raised.