Buipe, (N/R), Dec. 02, GNA - Alhaji Mustapha Ali Idris, the Northern Regional Minister, has said Ghana was capable of becoming self sufficient in food production.

He said this would depend largely on sustainable agricultural investment in the rural farming areas to engage the youth in food production and controlling the taste of the people for foreign food items.

Alhaji Idris was addressing farmers at Buipe in the Central Gonja District to mark the Regional Farmers' Day at which 24 farmers were honoured.

Mr. Alhassan Baako Dakurugu, 50, from Gushiegu, won the overall regional best farmer award and took away a corn mill, a bicycle, sewing machine, wax print, Wellington boots, fertilizers and cutlasses as his prize.

Alhaji Idris said if the youth applied themselves diligently to agriculture as an income earning occupation they would be able to increase production to higher levels to feed the nation and for exports. He said it was for this reason that the government initiated the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) to nurture and develop the youth into self-made entrepreneurs full of self-confidence and a high level of discipline to make them assets to the national economy.

Alhaji Idri said the NYEP had taken off in the Northern Region and that it was yielding positive results.

He said 5,522 youth had been employed in agriculture, 3,313 were engaged as teaching assistants while 485 were into sanitation and waste management.

On HIV/AIDS, Alhaji Idris said the vision of a well educated, well trained and well motivated human resource as a vehicle for driving the wheel of development could be achieved if there was concerted effort to keep the youth healthy.

"HIV/AIDS poses the greatest single threat to such an objective", he said, adding: "If we have to sustain interest and productivity in agriculture, then we must make sure that we maintain a viable, virile and healthy labour force".

Alhaji Idris said the greatest and most effective weapon against HIV/AIDS was openness, talking about it, discussing it at home, workplaces, churches and mosques as well as in the communities for the people to know more about the disease.

"This is the only surest way to demystify and conquer the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the country", he said.

The Regional Minister reminded the people about the wanton destruction of the environment, saying the environment was critical for the continued human existence.

Two women, who were living with HIV/AIDS, voluntarily announced their health status to the crowd.

This moved the people and Alhaji Idris and he gave a million cedis each to the women as his personal donation for their upkeep. 02 Dec 06