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TANO S: Stakeholders’ meeting held at Bechem

The Agricultural Department of the Tano South Municipal Assembly under the auspices of Ministry of Food and Agriculture has organized stakeholders’ meeting at Bechem to discuss key variables which hinder Agricultural production in the Municipality.

Date Created : 10/4/2018 7:11:38 AM : Story Author : Barnie K. Agyeman/Ghanadistricts.com

Speaking at the event, Mr Kyei-Baffour Owusu-Achaw, the Municipal Agricultural Director said the purpose of the meeting is to offer opportunity for farmers to outline problems confronting them at their farms and other factors which discourage many people from engaging in farming activities in the Municipality.

He said since policy document gives direction to an organization to implement effective policies, this planning session will help Tano South department of Agriculture to prepare Agricultural policy document to be used by farmers in the Municipality and urged all participants to contribute their quota to make the programme a success.

In another development, Mr. Abdul Asare Mumin, the Assistant Director IB who spoke on behalf of the MCE for Tano South, Collins Offinam Takyi said since Agriculture is the backbone of Ghana’s development, there is the need for policy makers to formulate effective Agricultural policy and stressed that it is against this background that this meeting has been held at Bechem.

He said in 2016 the Ghana Statistical Service in collaboration with the department of Agriculture conducted Agricultural Census in the Municipality and after the programme the departments realized that the Municipality do not have appropriate Agricultural policy document which can serve as a guide to farmers and hinted that, this meeting seeks to create a platform for stakeholders to assist department of Agriculture, Tano South prepare a comprehensive Agricultural policy document to help farmers find solutions to their agricultural production’s problems.

Mr Acheampong Ofori, a representative from the Brong Ahafo Regional Dirctorate of the Agriculture took participants through various topics such as the purpose of planning session, role of Research Extension Linkage Committee, farmers and defined Research Extension Linkage committees as a powerful instrument for implementing effective research initiatives.

On role of Research Extension Linkage Committee, he said the committee seeks to conduct research on farming activities to find out challenges confronting farmers, monitor adoption research at Regional and District levels, organizes research planning session, implement its research recommendations, organizes capacity building training for extension officers, document and share relevant knowledge skills on agriculture to farmers etc. On role of farmers, Mr. ofori said, farmers are obliged to participate planning sessions organized by policy formulators, provide information on agricultural constraints, adopt appropriate technologies and many more.

Zonal presentations on studies conducted to find out problems confronting farmers in the municipality were explained to the participants by Agricultural Extension Officers.

The programme which held at Bechem Pentecost Church saw dignitaries like Mr. Kyei Baffour Owusu Achaw, the Tano South Municipal Agricultural Director, Mr. Abdul Asare Mumin, the Deputy Coordinating Director of the Tano south Municipal Assembly and Mr. Ofori Acheampong, a representative from the Brong Ahafo Regional Directorate of the Department of Agriculture.