Famers in the Akatsi North District in the Volta Region are to benefit from over 35,000 cashew and 30,000 palm seedlings for free in May this year under the government’s flagship programme “Planting for Food and Jobs” (PFJ).
District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area, Dr. Prince Sodoke Amuzu who revealed this during a durbar of chiefs and people at Ave Dakpa to climax this year’s Ameshigbe Fesival that took place on Saturday, March 24, 2018. said the project is part of efforts to promote government’s agriculture and industrialization policy in the district.
The Ameshigbe Festival is celebrated annually by the people of Ave Traditional Area in the Akatsi North District to commemorate the relocation of their forefathers from the banks of the Volta Lake in then Tongu now North Tongu District to their present abode and also to mark the beginning of a new farming season.
Dr. Prince Sodoke Amuzu said oil palm is one of the cash crops in the area which has remained a source of income for many in the area therefore, vowed to make efforts to expand the oil palm industry starting with the initiative to supply the seedlings.
He however, bemoaned the situation where much focus is placed on just alcohol extraction from the oil palm when there are other valuable products that palm offers.
“As we speak there is a lot of oil palm in this district but almost all of them will end up being palm wine and akpeteshi meanwhile a lot of produce can come out of oil palm.”
Dr Amuzu disclosed cashew production is a new area he would encourage farmers in the District to venture into in addition to innovative ways in oil palm production and, saying, measures including agriculture extension services and sensitisation workshops for beneficiary famers will be adopted to ensure the initiative is a success.
Togbui Nyameko Glagbe V, Paramount Chief of Ave Traditional Area, commended the government for its flagship programmes such as 1 District-1 Factory (1D1F) and PFJ policy as well as the Assembly’s efforts in bringing progressive change to his area and charged the DCE to do more to facilitate development in the area in order to arrest the issue of rural-urban migration
By: Albert Kuzor/voltaonlinegh.com
