William N. Jalulah
26 March 2008
DESPITE PERSISTENT wrangles between tomato farmers and management of Northern Star Tomato Factory (NSTF), at Pwalugu in the Upper East Region, the president of National Farmers and Fishermen Award Winners' Association, Mr. Philip Abayori, has assured government that if it supports farmers in irrigation, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country will rise to 60%.
The president of the association also hopes that this move will give jobs to many of the unemployed youth, in areas where these irrigation projects are sited, and the nation as a whole.
Mr. Abayori, who gave the assurance at Tono, during the sod-cutting ceremony of the Tono Project rehabilitation works last Saturday, stated that the NSTF requires 500 tonnes of tomatoes daily.
In order to meet this target, and also to keep the factory running all year round, farmers at Tono would be provided with eight tractors, to enable each farmer cultivate at least one hectare of tomatoes each, during the coming wet season.
On behalf of the farmers, the president appealed for the provision of walkways within the irrigated farms, to enable farmers transport their produce by donkeys to market centres.
He called for logistical and financial support from the government.
Mr. Abayori also called for rehabilitation of the rice mill at Tono, so that rice produced there could be processed.
He urged farmers to promptly settle loans they take from financial institutions, so that they could have better chances of going in for more.
The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr. Ernest Debrah, who cut the sod for the rehabilitation works to begin, noted that all efforts in agriculture and other economic endeavours by government, will not yield the desired impact, unless there is peace in the region, in particular, and the nation in general.
The Minister therefore appealed to the chiefs and people of the region, to ensure lasting peace through dialogue.
The total sum allocated for the rehabilitation works on the Tono Irrigation Project stands at GH¢7.90 million.
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