Measures to improve agriculture

The Animal Production Department and the Irrigation Development Authority are working on stock development of several communities in the country for an-all-weather agriculture activities.

Mr.. Ibrahim Adam, Minister of Food and Agriculture, said this in an answer to a question on plans his ministry has for agriculture in drought prone areas in the country. Adam said topographical and soil surveys have been completed for nine sites in the Greater Accra, Volta, Northern, Upper West and Upper East regions..

He said tender documents on five of the sites located in the Northern Region, the minister said the low risk rice development project is continuing and good progress has been made. This, he said, aims at water harvestin, conservation and proper management ot obtain optimum yeilds for rice.

On the preservation of tomatoes, Mr.. Adam said a U.S. team is now studying how to help farmers in the Ashanti, Northen and the Upper East regions who always face a glut of their produce.

He, however, called on the industrial sector to tackle the problem of tomato preservation. He said the Veterinary Services Department block at Dormaa Ahenkro in the Brong-Ahafo Region will be ready for occupation by the middle of May this year.

Mr. Adam said the policy of the ministry now is to assist commu-nities that come up with viable projects to be considered for funding under the Agricultural Sector investment Project.

He said the ministry is going to negotiate with the bank of Ghana and the Ministry of finance on the lending rate the central bank gives to the commercial banks.