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General News of Wednesday, 24 March 2010

Source: GNA

NRGP expands irrigation in three Northern Regions and Brong Ahafo

Pwalugu, (UER) March 24, GNA - The Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP), has inaugurated 150 water pumps, pipelines and accessories meant for irrigated dry season farming in the Northern, Upper East, Upper West and Brong Ahafo regions.

Mr. Yaw Effah-Baafi, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, in-charge of Crops, who inaugurated the project at Pwalugu in the Upper East Region said five districts in the Brong Region are listed to benefit.

He said the beneficiary areas were adversely affected by poor climatic factors including poor rains and soils that was hindering agricultural production thereby rendering the people poor.

Mr. Effah-Baafi said government was committed to modernising agriculture especially through the promotion of irrigation, provide incentive packages, equipment, capital and technical services to farmers to make agriculture a profitable business that would attract the youth. He explained that the NRGP was put in place to improve the situation= by promoting agribusiness and increasing rural incomes.

He said the funds were being sourced from the African Development Bank (AFDB) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), to finance the programme.