Gov't to boost Cotton Production - JAK

President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday pledged government's determination to rejuvenate and boost cotton production in the Sissala District of the Upper West Region.

"Government is determined to rejuvenate cotton production in the Sissala District, promote and modernise its production to supply the raw material base of the President's Special Initiative (PSI) on garment and textiles."

President Kufuor was adressing a durbar of chiefs and people of Tumu in the Sissala District on the first day of his three-day official visit to the region.

He said it was unacceptable for the area to produce 35,000 metric tonnes of cotton annually despite the fertile lands and other potential to increase production in the district.

President Kufuor said irrigation facilities would be provided in the district for all year production of cotton and other cereals such as sorghum in the area.

President Kufuor said the Management of Guinness Ghana Ltd had invested five million dollars in sorghum production in Bawku in the Upper East Region and another town in the Northern Region and with the rich potential in the

Sissala District and would be included in the pilot scheme. Mr Sahanun Mogtari, Upper West Regional Minister and Acting Sissala District Chief Executive (DCE) said funds received from the common fund had been used to improve on the infrastructure in the District.

These include an Area Council building at Zini, the Controller and Accountant General's Office at Tumu, a KVIP at Tumu and the rehabilitation of the Tumu Catering Rest House and chalets. He said the electrification project at Tumu, had been completed, roads in Tumu township improved and 65 boreholes constructed throughout the district with the assistance of the World Bank under the Community Water and Sanitation Project (CWSP) phase two.

Mr Mogtari said some feeder roads in the district had also been rehabilitated and appealed to government for assistance to tar the Wa-Tumu road.

He said Tumu now had a District Hospital but no permanent medical officer to man it.

The Tumu Kuoro, Gilbert Badzoe Kanton V, said micro-credit facilities provided to women in the district under the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs had greatly improved their living standards. He said the chiefs and people had initiated plans to establish a Rural Bank in the District.

Tumu Kouro Kanton said a seed capital of 500 million cedis for the bank was being mobilised and structures to accommodate the bank is being rehabilitated.