Badu Maize Market To Get Facelift

The Badu Maize Market in the Tain District of the Brong Ahafo region is expected to get a facelift. The assurance came at the back of an advocacy project funded by the United States Agency for International Development as part of the Feed the Future programme which seeks to enhance value chain of cereals like rice maize,Soya beans and soghum.

The advocacy project which seeks address the infrastructure constraints and participation of the traders in the Assemblies Fee Fixing Resolution in four major maize markets including Ejura in the Ashanti region, Badu, Wenchi and Techiman in the Brong Ahafo region is being implemented by two separate consultants.

The project started with a research into the infrastructure constraints of the Wenchi and Badu markets which was followed by a video documentary the evidence of which were used to sensitized stakeholders on the challenges of the maize traders.

At a dialogue meeting with the Badu Maize Traders and the associate consultant, Mr. Baffour-Mensah A. on the project on one hand and the Hon. District Chief Executive for Tain Charity Akua Foriwaa Dwommor and the District Coordinating Director-Mr. Kumi Achiaw on the other hand on the way forward to address the constraints of the maize market, the District Chief Executive assured the traders of the Assemblies support to address the constraints in the Badu Maize Market. Presenting possible options on how the infrastructural constraints could be addressed, the Associate consultant, Mr. Baffour-Mensah revealed that the traders were ready to take a facility from their bankers to fund the project and use revenues that will accrue to the Assembly to redeem the loan overtime. The Hon. District Chief Executive and the Coordinating Director bought into the idea and assured the traders that bill of quantities will be prepared by the Works Department of the Assembly so that the cost of the project will be known. She assured that work on the project will start as soon as the bank released the facility to the traders and the necessary documentations done. A tentative date of August was agreed for the project to commence since August is the off-peak period for maize trading.

On the sanitation issues in the market, the Hon. District Chief Executive revealed that the Assembly will construct a modern toilet for the market. She also tasked the traders to acquire land for the construction of a warehouse to facilitate their business. She said the Assembly was branding the major markets in the District of which the Badu Maize Market will not be left out. She assured the traders of consultations in the Assembly’s Fee Fixing Resolutions going forward.