Government asked to provided modern agricultural infrastructure - Eson-Benjamin

Ahwerewa, (Ash), Aug. 15, GNA- Mr. Martin Eson-Benjamin, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), of the Millennium Development Authority (MDA), on Wednesday called on government to provided modern agricultural infrastructure to help reduce poverty, generally affecting Ghanaian farmers.

He cited that most farmers were poor due to the lack of storage facilities to store their produce to address post-harvest losses. Mr. Eson-Benjamin was speaking at Ahwerewa near Effiduase in the Sekyere East District of Ashanti Region, during the commissioning of school projects, to be funded by Millennium Challenge Account (MCA). Mr. Eson-Benjamin said the provision of infrastructure would assist in revamping agriculture in the country and improve living conditions of the farmers.

He said the project was part of MDA's poverty reduction strategy, under which good roads, sanitation, water, electricity, irrigation equipment and post harvest facilities would be provided to enhance farming in the district.

Mr. Eson-Benjamin said the project would also cover the rehabilitation of the already existing schools some of which were built over 50 years, building and furnishing of additional schools and the construction of teachers' quarters for teachers.

He said "The programme is to reduce rural poverty through agricultural transformation. We are of the view that success in agriculture as a business will come only if the farming communities also benefit from improved school infrastructure for the children of farmers in these farming communities".

Mr Eson-Benjamin mentioned the five beneficiary schools selected among the 65 educational institutions in phase one. They were Anyinofi SDA Kindergarten and Primary, Seniagya Methodist Junior High School (JHS), Kumawu Presby Primary (B), Ananagya Methodist Primary, and Ahwerewa D/A Primary and said in phase two, 300 to 400 schools would be built.

The CEO who inaugurated a 26-member committee to supervise the project, urged the people who were predominantly farmers to support the project and maintain the facilities that would be provided. Mr. Samuel Konadu, the District Chief Executive, revealed that, a total of 1,500 farmers who would be trained by a consultant under the programme.

He said, about 5,000 farmers in the district would benefit from the programme before the end of 2008 and promised that the assembly would support in the programme.

Nana Sefa Aboagye, who represented Nana Susubiribi Krobea Asante, Chief of Asokore advised the committee members to work diligently to ensure the success of the programme.