SADA rolls out mango seedlings in Kete-Krachi

The Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) has rolled out several hundred of mango seedlings for the people of the Krachi West District in the Volta Region. The project, which was in collaboration with a SADA Technical Service Provider, Richie Plantations, aims at leveraging farming activities of families through the private sector in the Krachi catchment area.

Launching the project in Kete-Krachi, the Volta Regional Minister, Nii Laryea Afotey-Agbo, reiterated the relevance of the SADA initiative, adding that, since the inception of the authority, several communities under the Savannah Ecological Zone (SEZ) have benefitted tremendously in agricultural activities. Nii Afotey-Agbo urged farmers in the Krachi communities to own the mango projects thereby improving their socio-economic status.

Barely two years into its operations, SADA through its service providers, offered various agricultural services in the form of tractor services, provision of seeds, fertilizers and sinking of boreholes for farming purposes. Essentially, the SADA initiative seeks to bridge the gap between the north and the south, as well as to reduce poverty among the communities in the SEZ.

The Chief Executive Officer of SADA, Alhaji Gilbert Iddi, said the main focus of SADA is to provide job avenues for the people and enrich the pockets of farmers. He added that the authority is poised to provide a permanent source of income to the people to address poverty in the SEZ area. Alhaji Iddi indicated that, SADA will collaborate with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to provide storage facilities for farmers in the Krachi area, for the preservation of tubers such as yam for the export market.

The District Chief Executive of Krachi West, Mr. Moses Ponyi, commended the Richie Plantation company for the mango project. He expressed the hope that the project will positively enhance the lives of farmers in the area.

Interestingly, among the beneficiaries of the mango project is a blind farmer, Mr. Ahenkora Kwame Williams. Mr. Williams plans to enter into a five-acre mango plantation, and he expressed optimism that the project will impact positively on his household and beyond.

This year alone, five districts in the Volta Region under SADA received 17 tractors as against 10 in 2012, for ploughing services. They are Krachi East, Krachi West, Krachi Nchumuru, Nkwanta North and Nkwanta South districts.