THE YOUTH of Onwe, near Ejisu in Ashanti, might be cursing their chief for depriving them of an employment opportunity. The siting of a proposed tomato processing plant by a local investor has been stalled.

The chief of Onwe is asking for ?80million before he releases four acres out of the required 10 acre land for the project. The remaining six acres would be negotiated for after the plant had been installed.

The project, which should have started operations early this year but for the impediments and frustrations, would have absorbed about 150 work force in the locality while creating jobs for farmers in the area.

As a result, the investor, Mr. Kweku Owusu, has relocated to Offinso. He has successfully acquired a six-acre piece of land for the project, at Offinso. Feasibility studies are expected to be completed soon for machines to be installed by July, this year.

Owusu, who is the managing director of Kwaku Owusu Enterprise Limited, said the plant would start operations by October, this year.

According to him, farmers would be granted loans for the cultivation of tomatoes to feed the plant.

They would also be introduced to scientific farming and irrigation to sustain production all year round.

Meanwhile, Owusu has recommended that paramountcies in Ashanti should venture into commercial farming to ensure food security.

He suggested that the Asanteman Council institute a plant pool from which the various paramountcies would be allocated machinery and equipment for the proposed farming ventures on competitive basis.

Owusu said since chiefs are custodians of the land, they could set aside a day in a week to engage the youth on these community farms whose proceeds could be used for developmental needs of the communities instead of relying on the government for basic needs.

Such a move would also go to create employment and minimise rural-urban drift of the youth.

He said the Asanteman Council could even institute an awards scheme to reward the best paramountcy each year.

Owusu, who saw the role of the assemblymen as a duplication of those chiefs, said it is time chiefs asserted their roles to ensure proper development of their communities and avoid waste of resources.