The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ahafo Ano South West, Hon. Abubakar Sadik, has distributed 1,500 bags of fertiliser to farmers in the district as part of efforts to boost agricultural production and support the government’s Feed Ghana Programme.
The fertiliser, comprising 1,000 bags of NPK and 500 bags of urea, was secured from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), led by the sector Minister, Hon. Eric Opoku.
Speaking at the distribution ceremony yesterday, Hon. Sadik said the intervention was intended to provide critical support to farmers and increase food production in the district.
He said the government’s vision of achieving food security and ensuring an abundance of food to feed the growing population could only be realised when farmers received the necessary inputs to expand their production.
According to him, the distribution of the fertiliser was therefore part of the district’s contribution towards the successful implementation of the Feed Ghana Programme.
Support for farmers
The DCE expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for making the fertiliser available to farmers in the district.
He said access to fertiliser remained essential to improving crop yields, particularly at a time when farmers were faced with increasing production costs.
Hon. Sadik urged the beneficiary farmers to use the fertiliser for the intended purpose and ensure that the intervention translated into increased agricultural output.
He noted that the district had enormous agricultural potential and that with the right support, farmers could produce enough food not only for consumption but also for the local market and other parts of the country.
Youth turning to farming
The DCE also disclosed that although Ahafo Ano South West was noted as a mining community, a growing number of young people were developing interest in agriculture.
He said many of the youth were beginning to recognise that mining could not provide a sustainable livelihood throughout their lives, and were therefore considering farming as a viable alternative.
“Although the district is a mining community, most of our youth have developed interest in farming because they cannot do mining throughout their lives,” he said.
Hon. Sadik said the development was encouraging and called for greater investment in agriculture to make the sector attractive and profitable for the youth.
He said strengthening agriculture would not only help create employment but would also reduce overdependence on mining and contribute to the long-term economic development of the district.
Boost food production
The DCE further encouraged farmers to take advantage of government interventions and adopt improved farming practices to increase productivity.
He said the district assembly would continue to collaborate with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and other stakeholders to support farmers and promote food production.
He expressed the hope that the fertiliser distribution would help farmers improve their yields and contribute meaningfully to the government’s efforts to achieve food security.
The beneficiaries, for their part, were urged to use the inputs responsibly and intensify their farming activities to ensure that the investment in agriculture produced the desired results.
