Rice farmers appeal for market

The Gomoa District Best Farmer for 2001, Nana Entsiful Ababio has appealed to the government to find market for the large quantity of rice stockpiled at the Okyereko Irrigation Project site to sustain the farmers' interest in the project.

Addressing a farmers and fishermen forum at Apam Nana Ababio, who is also the chief of Gomoa Okyereko said poor patronage of the produce was frustrating the efforts of the farmers to step up production.

About 300 hectares of land have been put into rice and vegetable cultivation under the irrigation project, funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Nana Ababio appealed to educational institutions in the area to buy their rice requirements from the farm.

Nana Krampah Dadzie, Gomoa District best agro forester appealed to financial institutions to grant a moratorium to farmers who contracted loans for production of crops that take longer time to mature.

Nana Dadzie said the high interest rates and the mode of payment of interests on the loans were scaring people from growing long-term crops.

He cited a case of a farmer who took a 10 million cedis loan to grow cashew and in five years when the crop started bearing fruit, the loan had shot up to 40 million cedis.

Miss Joyce Aidoo, Gomoa District Chief Executive said the government was constructing markets and improving road networks in farming areas under the Village Infrastructure Project (VIP) to arrest problems farmers encounter in selling their produce.

The DCE said in recognition of the importance of fish in the diet of the people, the government had decided to establish a fisheries school at Mumford to boost the industry.

Mr. Samuel Quartey, District Director of Agriculture urged farmers to adopt good farming practices to maintain the fertility of the land for a longer period to discourage the practice of shifting cultivation, which wasted much land.