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13.04.2007 General News

Peasant farmers want legal backing

13.04.2007 LISTEN
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The President of Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana, Mr Mohammed Adam Nashru, has called for a sound regulatory framework that would give financial support to peasant farmers to boost agriculture.

He said low agricultural financing and limited access to marketing opportunities were major concern to the country's peasant farmers.

Mr Nashru was speaking at a press conference in Kumasi on Thursday after a day's workshop for more than 200 peasant farmers from all parts of the country.

The workshop formed part of the association's educational awareness programmes aimed at sensitising policy makers on the need to adequately address problems associated with peasant farming in the country.

The Business Sector Advocacy Challenge Fund (BUSAC) and the Centre sponsored it for Public Interest Law.

Mr Nashru said accelerated socio-economic growth depended on improved agricultural production and suggested a scheme that would deal comprehensively with the problems.

He said: "It is high time a Ghanaian Agricultural Credit Act (GACA) was passed by Parliament to deal with the issue of agricultural credit facilities to farmers."

Mr Nashru called for the creation of an agricultural credit agency to undertake oversight responsibility for the implementation of the Act and other related matters.

This would help propel the country to the middle-income status by 2015 as envisaged by the government.

Source: GNA

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