The Member of Parliament for Kwahu Afram Plains South, Hon. Joseph Appiah Boateng, has praised Dr. Bryan Acheampong, Minister for Food and Agriculture, for his revered leadership just a few months after President Akufo-Addo appointed him.
The MP’s commendation comes following Tuesday’s sod-cutting ceremony of Gh¢2.8bn in agricultural revolution projects by the Agriculture Minister, the biggest of its kind in the country.
Addressing the residents of Kwasi Mante, a project beneficiary community, the MP urged them to avoid politics and support the Minister’s visions for ensuring that farmers in Afram Plains benefit from the initiative.
“We’re in electioneering year but we must do politics with everything. If you’re an NDC and an NPP person can feed you, he’s your saviour. If an NPP official constructs a road, an NDC person will access it so it’s not everything we must do politics with. He who has had the vision and bringing you development, you must pray for that person”,
He further said “The minister has done so well. As we speak, he’s bringing us about 10 boreholes, and several roads that will be linked to the irrigation projects and for the records, what the minister is doing in his few months in office has never happened in the last 30 years by any Agric minister.
We were at Ho when Dr. Baah called me and upon seeing what entailed the projects, I needed to leave Parliament to offer my support to the Minister because that’s what will bring developments to my people.”
However, Hon. Joseph Appiah Boateng urged the people to embrace the initiative by the minister and take advantage of it; in that way, they can also make progress for themselves through farming.
Dr. Bryan Acheampong, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, cut the sod for works to begin on some infrastructure projects under the Emergency Support to Rural Livelihoods and Food Systems exposed to COVID-19 (ESRF), a project implemented by the Ministry.
The infrastructure projects include the construction of farm tracks (roads), water harvesting schemes, drying platforms, and boreholes. These projects aim to enhance the lives of smallholder farmers by providing better access to markets, increasing crop yields, addressing water scarcity, and improving post-harvest management.
According to Dr. Bryan, a 100-hectare water harvesting scheme will be constructed for smallholder farmers in Tordzinu, South Tongu District, and Klenormadi, Ketu District, in the Volta Region. Additionally, 16 commodity drying platforms will be built, and 29.5 kilometres of farm tracks will be constructed in various regions. Furthermore, 20 boreholes will be installed in the North-East Gonja, Nanton, Atebubu, Bono East, Northern, and Savannah regions.
The Minister was concerned and emphasised the importance of contractors adhering to high construction standards and the active participation of beneficiary communities in maintaining and utilising these facilities.
Dr Bryan expresses optimism about the impact of these projects on smallholder farmers and beneficiary communities, stating that they will be better equipped to face challenges posed by climate change.
The Minister also extends gratitude to IFAD for their support in making these projects possible and calls for collective efforts to transform the agricultural sector and contribute to Ghana’s prosperity.
