Story By: Elizabeth Frimpong:
The Chairperson of people’s Education at Asuogyaman in the Eastern Region of Ghana, Mr. Samuel Asante on Tuesday May 24, 2016 has revealed some of the challenges the farmers are going through after the Agric Extension Agents and Farmers Engagement programme by the Rite FM’s MAASI project team. He said this on Rite 90.1 FM’s morning ride programme, ‘Feed the Future Platform’.
According to him, the Acquisition of farmlands is a big challenge to the farmers. He said, the landowners has increased the price of the hired lands and thereby run at a lost after harvesting their products since the cost of the land is high. He added that, fuel for the tractors has also increased so farmers find it difficult to go by it. He pleaded with the Government to intervene for the chiefs and the landowners to reduce it for the farmers.
Mr. Asante again suggested that, the District Assemblies should resource the agric departments in order to check on their farms regularly to know their problems and solve them. He also lamented on the poor marketing system for the farmers. He said the Government should implement a policy to suit the farmers on how to sell their products. He further explained that, the agric department should ensure that the farmers’ cooperatives operate and well sustained.
The Director of Agricultural Department in Lower Manya Municipality of the Eastern Region of Ghana, Mr. Seth Martey on the same platform has confirmed to the challenges of the farmers. He said most of diseases affecting their crops could be prevented by keeping the farms clean and others too are referred to the Research Extension Linkage Committee (RELC) which is a Center for Scientific and Industrial Research.
According to him, after the research, the results will be given to the Extension Agents for them to educate the farmers on them. He also advised the farmers to form strong and viable Cooperatives union to help them get access to supports to expand their business. He however encouraged the farmers to adapt to the cultivation of the new improved high yielding seeds which is suitable for the various seasons to increase the productivity and also get closer to the extension agents for advice.
Source: ritefmonline
