Mr. Matthew Gyamfi, Public Relations Officer of Asutifi District Farmers Network, has appealed to the government to regulate illegal mining activities in the area to save farmlands.

He said their activities were affecting farming in the district with indiscriminate environmental degradation, destruction of soil nutrients and payment of paltry sums of money to farmers for their farms.

Mr. Gyamfi made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at the launch of the Network at Kenyasi in the Asutifi District.

The Network comprises all farmers’ organisations in the district to provide an opportunity for the farmers to showcase their potentials and opportunities available to them as smallholder farmer organisations.

The network was initiated by Action Aid Ghana, for identification of strategies to support the farmers to reduce poverty and food insecurity in Asutifi District.

Mr. Kwame Afram Denkyira, Brong Ahafo Regional Programme Officer for Education, Action Aid Ghana, said research had shown that the growth of the agricultural sector was primarily led by smallholders.

He said farmers in the district had contributed to the improvement in food production in spite of all the challenges they encountered such as access to inputs, extension services, credit, markets, transportation and climate change.

Mr. Denkyira stressed the need to support smallholder farmers to modernise their operations in order to grow viable business enterprises that could generate enough income to sustain the needs of their households.

Mr. Eric Asuako, President of the Network, said it was established about two years ago and had more than 700 farmers from 25 communities in the district.

He said it had brought farmers together with a common goal to increase food production in the district.

Ms Vivian Konadu, Asutifi District Director of Ministry of Food and Agriculture, urged chiefs to release land to the youth to encourage them to go into farming.