AGRIC SECTOR NEEDS MORE SUPPORT (PAGE 32)

A commercial farmer has called on the government to provide the much needed support to the agricultural sector, especially crop farmers, to enable it to increase production.
Increased agricultural production, he said, would not only ensure food security but also make it possible for the country to export food to earn foreign exchange for development.
The farmer, Mr Alex Tinkorang, the Chairman of Kwanim GDK Limited, which is engaged in mechanised farming at Kwanim in the Kwahu North District in the Afram Plains, made the call when the Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, visited the farm to acquaint himself with what went on there last Thursday.
The regional minister was accompanied by his deputy, Baba Jamal; the Eastern Regional Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Mr Godwin Eklu; the Eastern Regional Manager of the Department of Feeder Roads, Mr David Brobbey, and officials of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA).
“Mechanised farming in the country stands an advantage of cushioning the country against the increasing prices of food and reducing poverty, particularly in rural communities with large arable land, if adequate state support is given to farmers,” Mr Tinkorang stated.
He said since the country had been blessed with abundant arable land, the government must seriously consider providing fertilisers at subsidised prices to encourage the people, particularly the youth, to go into mechanised farming.
Sharing a personal experience, he said although the Afram Plains were endowed with large tracts of arable land, the land still lacked adequate phosphorous, a situation which had to be improved with the application of fertilisers to enhance food production in the area.
According to him, the $38-million project, targeted at producing between 10 and 12 metric tonnes of maize in the next three years, would also be used to cultivate soya beans, rear pigs and fish.
On challenges facing the farm, the chairman said it was going through tough times and appealed to the government to facilitate the extension of electricity to the farm and the construction of road to the area.
For his part, Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said since agriculture was vital to efforts aimed at reducing poverty in the country, the government had made it a priority to assist farmers, including large-scale ones, to ensure adequate food security in the country.
He commended the management and staff of the farm for their vision and hard work, as well as the Kwahu traditional authorities for releasing the land for the project, saying, “We will give you the needed support to make this farm a model one to be replicated across the country.”
He further stressed the need for collaboration between the farm and the various crop research institutions in the country to enhance food production.