The Bia East District Assembly in the Western North Region, has in collaboration with Safety-Net Programme, a non-governmental organisation, presented 8,000 coconut seedlings to famers in the area for free.
Handing over the seedlings to the District Agriculture Officer for onward distribution to the farmers, Mr Nicholas Yayin Kupog, the District Chief Executive for Bia East, said the Government was committed at supporting farmers with alternative livelihoods, as well as improving upon the agricultural sector to produce more for exports.
Mr Kupog lauded the Government for the initiative, noting that the coconut in few years would help improve upon the economic conditions of the beneficiary farmers and their families.
The DCE entreated the beneficiary farmers to plant the seedlings and nurture them especially during the dry season.
He asked the residents to have faith in the Government since the current administration had brought much development to the district.
Mr Kupog announced that palm seedlings would soon be distributed to farmers in the area so that they would not solely depend on cocoa production.
Mr Charles Ennin, Bia East District Director of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), who received the seedlings on behalf of the farmers, said Agric officers in the various communities would assist the farmers in planting the seedlings to meet acceptable standards.
Some of the beneficiary farmers commended the Government for the gesture and pledged to follow lay down practices to plant the seedlings.
Some of them told the Ghana News Agency that the coconut would go a long way to support them during the off season of cocoa.
GNA
JP/LKA/AD
06 Feb 2024
Photos attached
