Sekyere District Farmers appeal for MiDA loans

Nsuta (Ash), June 1, GNA - Mr Selasi Adjorlolo, Community and Public Outreach Manager of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), has assured Farmers Based Organisations (FBOs), in the Sekyere Central District, of the needed assistance to boost their businesses. Mr Adjorlolo gave the assurance at a meeting with the District Advisory Committee (DAC) of the Millennium Challenge Account at Nsuta, which was attended by the FBOs.

At the meeting the FBOs expressed concern about the undue delay by MiDA to fulfil its promise to offer them loans, after they have completed all prerequisite requirements. They also appealed to the Authority to arrange with the commercial banks to reduce the interest rates they charge on the loans in order to facilitate repayment. Mr Adjorlolo reminded the farmers of the benefits they had received through the various technical training programmes of MiDA, to enhance their business and said that was more important than the loans they were asking for.

He explained that not all farmers who have applied for loans would get them, since the criteria for assessing the facility depends on whether one had fully received technical training, the size of the applicant's farm, as well as the recommendation from the banks. The DAC expressed concern about the delay in the implementation of the Rural Development and Transportation aspect of the programme in the district and urged MiDA to address the anomaly.