Plans are afoot for the setting up of a cassava processing factory under the One District One Factory initiative in Shama, District Chief Executive Joseph Amoah has disclosed to a gathering at a ceremony to mark the 35th edition of the Farmers’ Day Celebration at Nyankrom in the Shama District of the Western Region.
Mr Amoah is hopeful that when the processing factory is set up, the thousands of tonnes of cassava produced in the district will not go waste.
“In 2017, cassava farmers in the district produced 11,172 metric tonnes of cassava. In 2018, they produced 12,350 metric tonnes. The farmers complain a greater percentage of their produce goes waste. Now, when the processing factory comes on stream this problem will be solved.”
He therefore urged the farmers and other prospective growers to go into cassava farming as “very soon you will have a factory that will buy all your cassava”.
Mr. Amoah paid glowing tribute to farmers in the district and across the country for their continuous contribution to the economy of the country.
He explained that government has recognized “your contributions and therefore will continue to introduce interventions that will ensure that you will be able to do your work without any hassle”.
“Look at the Planting for Food and Jobs programme, under this, farming inputs have been heavily subsidized. So at all categories of farmers especially the peasant farmer will get what is needed to produce satisfactorily.
“A total of 832 people have been registered under the Planting for Food and Jobs programme in the district. Out of this number, 684 are males while the remaining 148 are females.”
He added that a total of 482 bags of Urea fertilizer, 1,072 NPK fertilizers which have been heavily subsidized have been supplied to farmers.
Mr. Amoah assured farmers that government will continue to introduce interventions that will enable them “produce enough to feed the country”.
Shama District Director of Agriculture Services Emmanuel Aggrey entreated farmers to draw closer to agriculture extension officers for them to learn the best ways of farming.
He also encouraged farmers who are yet to register for the Planting for Food and Jobs programme to do so as the incentives are immense.
Acting President of the Shama Traditional Council and Chief of Yabiw Nana Kwamina Wienu II advised farmers to consider introducing technology in their activities.
Vincent Teku, 47, emerged the 2019 Best Farmer for the Shama District.
He has a 12-acre cassava farm, 4 acres of vegetables, 1 acre of plantain, 2 acres of maize, 4 acres of water melon, 7 goat, 5 sheep, 30 birds and an irrigation system.
Mr. Teku attributed his success to the work of Agriculture extension officers who are always at his farm to advise him on how to farm.
He received a tricycle and other farming implements.
The 35th Farmers’ Day celebration is under the theme ‘Enhancing Small Scale Agribusiness towards development’.
By Eric Yaw Adjei|3news.com|Ghana