Study to irrigate Accra Plains underway

Aveyime, April 6, GNA - Feasibility study on the 200,000 acres Accra Plains Irrigation Project has started and it will cover Dawhenya, Akuse, Asutsuare, Battor, Sogakope and Ada.

Sudi International of Tunisia is undertaking the 1.4 million- dollar project funded by the Kuwaiti Fund and is expected to be completed in June, Mr Daniel Nyarko Ohemeng, Deputy Chief Executive of the Irrigation Development Authority, (IDA), told the GNA on Saturday. This was during a visit of Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, Minister of Food and Agriculture, to the Aveyime Rice Project on Saturday. Mr Ohemeng said the study would establish the cost involved in building the irrigation system, map out soil types and crops they could support.

It would also identify human settlements, expected to take about 50,000 acres of the land area.

Mr Ohemeng said the study would also establish the possibility of making some of the water for irrigation potable for settlements in the project area and communities in Tema and Accra. He said the outcome of the studies would assist government decide on crops for viable ventures. Mr Ohemeng said there was the possibility of irrigated lands under the project being leased to interested private companies and individuals.

He led the Minister to inspect the rehabilitated IDA irrigation facility at Aveyime, which waters 80 acres of land for about 100 small-scale rice farmers. Mr Ahwoi assured the farmers of government's commitment to promote agriculture to a high level to give jobs to many Ghanaians and improve food security.