Juaso (Ash), Aug 19, GNA - Cocoyam and cassava farmers in the Asante- Akim South District have expressed their displeasure about the lack of ready market for their produce, resulting in a chunk of them going waste. The farmers, who described the situation as a major challenge to their efforts at contributing to food production, called for measures to address the problem which included lack of access roads to production centres to whip up the interest of the youth in farming.

The concerns of the farmers were expressed at a forum on Roots and Tubers Improvement and Marketing Programme (RTIMP) held at Juaso on Monday to brainstorm on how best stakeholders could collaborate to make the programme successful. The forum was organized by the District Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and cocoyam and cassava farmers, processors and traders attended. The RTIMP is an eight-year programme funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Government of Ghana (GOG) to enhance food security and income of poor rural households with emphasis on women and other vulnerable groups. It is being piloted in 14 districts for the first two years and would cover 60 districts by the end of the programme.

Mr. Yaw Owusu Donkor Jnr, Acting District Director of MOFA, said the programme, which begun in 2007 in the district with the establishment of cocoyam nursery at Koikrom and secondary multiplication of improved cassava varieties at Juaso, Obogu, Dwendwenase, Payase and Banso, was doing well. He said the programme also aimed at building competitive market-based and inclusive commodity chains for roots and tubers, supported by relevant and sustainable services that are accessible to the rural poor. Mr. Owusu-Donkor expressed the hope that production, processing and marketing of cocoyam and cassava in the district would be enhanced during and after the programme.