Mr Daniel Kwame Gariba, the Builsa South District Chief Executive, said the Assembly would soon benefit from a rice processing factory, to be established at Fumbisi, to help add value to the product and address post-harvest losses.

The factory would be established under the Rural Enterprise Programme and funded by the Government and the Africa Development Bank, as part of efforts to industrialise the economy.

Mr Gariba said this when he addressed Assembly members and heads of department at the First General Assembly Meeting of the District for 2019 at Fumbisi, the District Capital.

The DCE noted that the District was being selected among four in the Upper East Region and 58 in the country to benefit from the rice factory.

He said the choice was particularly made to address the post-harvest losses that farmers had been challenged with over the years.

He said the necessary technical, financial and commercial viability analysis had been completed for the factory to take off and that the Ministry of Trade and Industry would train the youth and give them technical support to own and manage the facility.

“As part of the implementation process, a team of consultants were in the District a few days ago to assess the site for the factory. The factory, when completed, will in no doubt engage the teaming youth in both direct and indirect jobs,” the DCE added.

As part of the One-Village-One-Dam intiative, 10 dams were at various stages of completion in 10 communities namely; Bachonga, Chansa, Gbedemblisa, Golluk, Jinigsa, Luisah, Luvalsah, Sakpasa-Boun, Wiesa and Zagsah, the DCE said.

He said when completed they would boost agricultural production and ensure all year farming to provide raw materials to feed the factory.

Mr Gariba, therefore, admonished his constituents to embrace government flagship programmes such as the Planting for Food and Jobs, Planting for Export and Development, and Rearing for Food and Jobs, of which the District had been selected as beneficiary to improve upon the livelihoods of the people.

“These programmes in the agriculture sector have been initiated by the Government to restore hope to farmers. The objective of these interventions is to boost Agric production with an emphasis on ensuring a sustainable supply of food and creating jobs for the unemployed.”

Some major roads in the District would receive a facelift to enhance economic activities, he said, and that the Fumbisi-Kanjagah road, which was awarded for construction would be re-awarded to a more competent contractor.

“To this end, I must make mention that the upgrading of the 15-kilometre Fumbisi Township road will be executed soon. Also, Fumbisi-Zamsa, Fumbisi-Uwasi and Uwasi-Zamsaroads have been awarded for upgrading. Plans are afoot for the opening up of the Zamsa-Gobsa-Chansa road under the agriculture roads projects,” Mr Gariba said.

The General Meeting was to review projects undertaken by the District Assembly over the period and was chaired by Mr Richard Ajuik Awondadek, the Presiding Member.

Present were Dr Clement Apaak, the Member of Parliament for the area, Assembly members of the various electoral areas, and heads of department.