Northern Regional Minister Unhappy With Rate Of Loan Repayment

Karaga (N/R) Mr. San Nasamu Asabigi, deputy Northern Regional Minister, has expressed concern about the low rate of loan recovery in the agricultural sector, warning that failure to pay back such loans ''undermines government's effort to improve agricultural output''. He was speaking at the commissioning of a 60 million- cedi Demonstration and Training Centre built under the Small-Holder Agricultural Development Project (SADEP) at Karaga in the Gushiegu-Karaga district. Mr. Asabigi commended the SADEP for extending a new credit line of 1.5 billion cedis to women's groups and farmers in the region this year and cautioned beneficiaries not ''to regard the loans as gifts.'' ''You must repay such loans on schedule so that more people can benefit''. The centre's commissioning coincided with the passing out of 18 pioneer women who had completed a year's training in dress making and spinning. The centre offers courses in home management, nutrition, agricultural extension, vocational and skills management training. SADEP, financed by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), is an extension of the defunct International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) programme which wound up its operations in the region in 1995. IFAD's programme of activities included support for farmers in small ruminants production, food crop production including roots and tubers and marketing. Mr. Asabigi appealed to the graduates to impart their skills to other women in their communities and work hard to justify investments made on them.