Daboase, (W/R) Sept. 27, GNA - Participants at a forum at Daboase in the Mpohor Wassa East District have called for the construction of a cocoa depot for the storage of extra cocoa beans produced after the season. The participants also called on the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to increase the number of agricultural extension officers in the district t= o help the farmers with new ideas to increase their productivity.

The forum was organized by the Mpohor Wassa East Governance Issues Forum Network (GIFNet), a civil society organization. It was supported by the Institute for Democratic Governance (IDEG) to encourage the participation of ordinary citizens in policy decisions in their communities= ..

The forum was organized under the theme, 93Enhancing the Participation= of Small Scale Farmers in Agricultural Policies; What Must We Do?" It was attended by assembly members, heads of departments, farmers' groups and representatives of farmer-based organizations and members of the GIFNet. Presenting a summary of the decisions of the forum, Mr Kwamena Boakye= , Focal Person for the Mpohor Wassa East GIFNet and Executive Director of Social Development Partners (SODEP), said the forum also identified poor roads to the farming communities as one of the major challenges affecting the productivity of small-scale farmers.

He said the forum suggested a meeting of selected members of the GIFNet and participants of the forum with the District Assembly and the District Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to draw plan= s to resolve some of the issues raised. The Mpohor Wassa East District has a population of 145,000 out of which 37 per cent are adults who are mainly farmers. But the District has only seven agricultural extension agents.