Govt. to revamp coconut sector

Agona-Nkwanta (Western Region)

The government has received a grant of 26.6 million CFA ($4.5 million) from Agence Francaise De Developpment, French Aid Agency, to implement a five-year coconut sector development project in the Western and Central regions.

Mr J.H, Owusu-Acheampong, Minister of Food and Agriculture, made this known at a meeting with farmers in the Ahanta west district at Agona-Nkwanta on Wednesday.

The Minister, on a familiarisation visit to the Western region, said the projects would be implemented in the Jomoro, Nzema East, Ahanta West and Shama-Ahanta East districts in the Western region and in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem and Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese districts of the Central region.

The projects would be managed by the Ghana Rubber Estates Limited with a team of experts on coconut including the professional staff of the ministry of Agriculture.

The first component will deal with replanting areas devastated by the Cape Saint Paul Wild Disease (CSPWD), the second will increase the output of existing coconut farms through the use of fertilizer and farm maintenance while the third component will improve the efficiency of traditional processing of coconut oil.

Mr Owusu-Acheampong said the project aims at reviving the coconut sector and to reduce the spread of CSPWD on coconut production.

He said the project has a credit component to be managed by the Agricultural Development Bank in collaboration with selected rural banks for village associations and women in the areas of the project.

At the Ghana Rubber Estate Limited, Mr Henk Zwinderman, the Managing Director, said GREL had since 1992 paid seven billion cedis to farmers under its rubber outgrower purchasing scheme.

Since 1995, more than 400 farmers were assisted to plant 1,200 hectares of rubber and that this would be increased to 2,500 hectares for 450 more farmers, he said.

At the National Oil Palm Limited at Prestea, Mr Owusu-Acheampong urged the management and staff to continue sustaining the company, expected to be divested soon, and commended the management for generating revenue to pay the workers.