More than 40,000 hybrid oil palm seedlings are expected be distributed to about 500 farmers in the Mpohor District of the Western Region.
The distribution of the seedlings, which is an initiative under the Tree-Crop Module of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) through the Mineral Development Fund is meant to create more employment and to facilitate development, particularly at the local level.
It is being implemented by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) in collaboration with the Local Government Ministry across the country.
It forms part of government’s plan to provide additional revenue to farmers in mining communities to improve their welfare while fighting against illegal small scale mining.
At a ceremony to distribute the seedlings to farmers District Chief Executive for Mpohor Ignatius Asaah Mensah said the first phase of the programme seeks to supply about 20,000 quantities of the seedlings for the start to all interested farmers to significantly boost their income generation to improve their livelihoods while the rest will be supplied soon.
He further stated that officials from the Department of Agriculture and the Assembly are involved to monitor the farmers to ensure that they plant the seedlings to derive the maximum benefit.
“We have already gone to inspect the various farm and the seedlings will be distributed according to your farm size. We will ensure proper monitoring to ensure they really serve the purpose for which they are being distributed.”
District Director of Agric for Mpohor Enoch Koranteng commended government for the move, which he said was timely since it will engage the farmers to do more in the midst of the corona scare while improving their finances.
By William Benjamin Peters|3news.com|Ghana