Apam, Jan. 25, GNA - Nine communities in Gomoa District have received a cheque of five million cedis each for land and water management activities.

The communities, which are the last batch to benefit from the Land and Water Management Project, a DANIDA funded programme were Gomoa Mampong, Gomoa Akropong No. 1, Gomoa Dunkwa, Osedze, Adzentem, Osamkrom, Gomoa Lome, Obiri and Gomoa Akyemfo.

Under the project, initiated about six years ago, farmers are supported to undertake forestation, organic farming, bush fire control, control of erosion, water harvesting and protection of water bodies as means of improving soil fertility and preventing rivers and ponds from drying up.

Presenting the cheques to the communities at Apam, Mr. Francis Kwaku Nutakor, District Director of Agriculture, cautioned the people against misapplying the funds, adding that, the money should be used strictly for solving problems connected with land and water management. He said that even though the project ended in 2003, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) was determined to sustain it because of its relevance in ensuring food security.

The District Director said the success of the project would encourage MOFA to source more funds for the venture. Mr. Nutakor said the high incidence of bush fires in the area coupled with indiscriminate felling of trees for charcoal burning and fuel wood had resulted in an erratic rainfall pattern, which negatively affected farming activities.