By: Benjamin Owusu | Voltaonlinegh |
A 54-year old Samuel Amanpanyi, a person with disability (PWD) in Obanda in the Nkwanta South Municipality of the Oti Region has advised colleague PWDs to take advantage of government’s free cashew seedling distribution and engage in cashew cultivation to enhance their livelihood.
According to Mr. Amanpanyi, PWDs should not only be seen on the streets begging for alms but should rather engage themselves in activities that will improve their living conditions.
He said the prospects of cashew cultivation surpassed any other tree crop saying, cashew had a potential to accelerate the country’s growth.
He made this call when Nkwanta South Municipal Assembly distributed over 215,000 cashew seedlings to farmers who applied under the government’s flagship programme Planting for Export and Rural Development project.
Last year, the assembly distributed over 60,000 cashew seedlings to farmers to in line with government’s decision to invest in cashew to increase production since cashew has been identified as the ‘savanna cocoa’ which would contribute to increased foreign exchange for the country.
The Municipal Director, Department of Food and  Agriculture, Cephas Akai disclosed that last year, the Agriculture Services Department gave out over 60,000 cashew seedlings to farmers but decided to increase that number to 215,0000 upon demands from farmers.
Mr. Akai advised farmers who had received the seedlings to take good care of the crop for good yields.
The Municipal Coordinator, National Youth Authority, Felix Owusu Gyimah encouraged the youth in the area to take advantage of the free delivery of the seedlings to engage in cashew cultivation to enhance their livelihood.
Some farmers who received the seedlings thanked the government and appealed for introduction of rubber tree planting in the area since the area was a tropical forest zone.
Another, Sahadatu Borebenyi encouraged colleague women to take advantage of the project to support their families and take care of their children’s education.
Source: www.voltaonlinegh.com
