MOFA facilitates affordable tractors for farmers

TO MAKE tractor services easily accessible to farmers, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) is facilitating the establishment of Agricultural Mechanization Service Centres (AMSEC) in all the 170 Districts, Municipals and Metropolitans in the country.

So far, more than eighty centres have been established, and have started operations across the country, of which each centre has been allocated five tractors and accessories.

This was disclosed by the Deputy Minister of MOFA in charge of crops, Mr. Yaw Effah Baafi at Ejura, in the Ashanti Region last Tuesday, when he led a team to inspect a 1,100 acre piece of land which has been put under cultivation of maize.

According to him, the Ministry has absorbed 30% of the cost of the tractors as a subsidy, while 50 % of the balance would be paid as deposit, and the remaining 50% spread over three years.

He stated that the tractor service centres were being established to facilitate access to farm power machinery by farmers who can not afford the machinery. “With the AMSEC, a deposit of 15% of the cost of the 5 tractors is made, while the balance is paid over a five-year period”, he emphasized.

Mr. Baafi also said that “the Ministry is pursuing its goal through the Food and Agricultural Sector Development Policy (FASDEP II), which seeks to achieve, among others, food security and emergency preparedness, as well as improve growth in incomes and stability”.

He mentioned that in order to attain food security objective, MOFA was pursuing interventions such as Youth In Agriculture (YIA), which comprises block farming programme and demonstration farms for maize, rice, sorghum and soya bean. There is also the supply of fertilizer to farmers at subsidized prices, and development of water pumping schemes on major rivers for irrigation purposes, among others.

He reiterated that the government has started the implementation of the YIA programme as a pilot scheme, and has succeeded in putting under cultivation 35,000 acres of land, made up of maize, rice, sorghum and soya beans. He also disclosed that a total of about 60,000 people have been employed under the YIA programme.

The deputy Minister also mentioned that Grains and Legumes Development Board (GLDP) and Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Directorate (PPRSD) will continue to supply quality seeds and planting materials to farmers to boost their productions.

He revealed that the Livestock Development Project will distribute 50,000 improved breeds of small ruminants to farmers throughout the country for genetic improvement of the local stock. “10,000 parent stocks of pigs will be distributed to farmers and 200,000 improved cockerels will also be disseminated to households by the end of the year”, he continued.

He also said the feasibility studies on the Afram Plains Irrigation Project were almost complete, after which the installation of the facilities at the over 10,000 hectare of land would be available.

He also revealed that 794 irrigation pumps, of various capacities have been ordered, to establish irrigation schemes along the main perennial rivers and additionally 83 pumps were being distributed to various communities for irrigation to promote dry season farming.

He disclosed the government's effort at releasing adequate logistics to control the outbreak of armyworm infestation in the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions.

The District Chief Executive (DCE) of Ejura-Sekyeredumase, Miss Martha Bruckner congratulated the current government for not only achieving its objective of providing food security, but also setting up the project which has created employment for the youth in the district.

She said the 1,100 acre land of the block farm on the Ejura Farms' land was ploughed, harrowed and shared among 60 farmers' groups and individuals. According to her, the groups comprised 950 males and 620 females, who were working on the maize farm, currently at the cobbling stage.

Hon. Mohammed Issifu Pangabu, the Member of Parliament for the Ejura Sekyeredumase constituency urged the Agricultural Extension Services to collaborate with the farmers in order to make the project sustainable.

Mr. George Badu Yeboah, the Ashanti Regional Director of Agriculture commended the farmers for their good work and urged them to form groups and cultivate crops to boost crop production in the country.