Farmers in Akwapim South assured of MCA share

Accra, April 20, GNA - About 1,000 farmers in the Akwapim South District are targeted to benefit from the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) to enable them to improve upon their production capacities and enhance their living conditions.

Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom, Minister of Public Sector Reforms, said these on Thursday when he took a familiarization tour to Koranco Pineapple Plantation at Obodan, near Nsawam in the Akwapim South District. The tour formed part of the Ministers effort to sensitize farmers within the 23 districts selected to source monies that would be provided by the MCA as well as the modalities involved.

He reiterated that the US Government approved Ghana's proposal and that once the necessary documents were signed by July 2006 and the fund started getting in, it would be made available to the selected farmers to enhance their farming activities.

Under the strategy for disbursement of the MCA funds to farmers, a Farmer Based Organisation (FBO) would be constituted, which would be linked to the big players in farming to provide them with planting materials, training and other technical assistance.

Using the Koranco Pineapple Farmers in Nsawam as a pivot, a cooling unit would be supplied at the farm for other satellite farmers to cool their produce to avoid decay before exporting them. Mr Emmanuel Boadi Koranteng, Manager of the Koranco Pineapple Farms, said the proceeds from the MCA would go a long way to enhance farming activities and provide employment for the people. "It is a push-pull system that will help small-scale farmers and lift their lives from the doldrums as well as provide a better opportunity for their families and other dependants." He noted that the MD2 pineapple seedling, a Costa Rica initiative, had high demand on the international market but required a lot of capital to cultivate.

Mr Koranteng, therefore, urged the Government to oblige to its promise of making the funds available after the MCA deal was sealed.