The Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP) has the potential to reduce poverty significantly within the next five years through irrigation in the Upper West Region.

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LAWRA: NRGP has potential to reduce poverty – Minister

The Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP) has the potential to reduce poverty significantly within the next five years through irrigation in the Upper West Region.


Date Created : 3/13/2014 2:43:23 PM : Story Author : GhanaDistrict.Com

The Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP) has the potential to reduce poverty significantly within the next five years through irrigation in the Upper West Region.

 Dr Ephraim Avea Nsoh, outgoing Upper West Regional Minister, said this could be realised with the availability of arable land and water bodies waiting to be exploited.

He said for such a wonderful success to be achieved, it would require massive investment and strong commitment from the project managers and all stakeholders.

Dr Nsoh said this when he and the National Coordinator of the NRGP, Mr Roy Ayariga, visited some communities in Lawra and Jirapa districts to inspect some projects under the Programme.

Dr Nsoh, who expressed satisfaction with the irrigation along the banks of the Black Volta, commended the NRGP for providing jobs for both women and the youth and also helping to reduce poverty and improving food security.

He said people in the region were predominantly into agriculture and lauded the NRGP’s focus on irrigation farming during the dry season.
He appealed to donors and partners to invest more into the programme to enable it to turn all water bodies in the region into green fields through irrigation.

Mr Ayariga, who took the Minister round to inspect crops such as butter nut squash, yellow corn and pepper, said the project also looked for ready local and international market for the farmers to sell their produce.

He said butter nut squash had a lot of market in the United Kingdom, especially in Birmingham, and that they would promote it to give it a bigger market such that farmers would be happy to have good returns from their produce.

Mr Ayariga said the project, apart from focusing on reduction in poverty among the people, was also aimed at attracting more youth into agriculture to prevent them from migrating to the South in search of menial jobs.

The NRGP Coordinator thanked the African Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) for helping to finance the programme.

GNA