Gomoa Asebu (C/R), Nov. 5, GNA - The Gomoa District Assembly in collaboration with the District Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture has embarked on a number of activities to revamp agriculture in the district.

The two institutions have established four woodlot nurseries at Panfokrom, Potsin, Brofoyedur and Ngyiresi.

The Assembly and MOFA have also established four oil palm nurseries at Afransi, Osamkrom, Tarkwa and Obokrom and four citrus nurseries at Brofo, Mampong Benso and Manso.

Miss Joyce Aidoo, Gomoa District Chief Executive, who announced this at the celebration of the 20th National Farmers Day at Asebu said gari processing machines have been installed at Afransi and Dawurampong. Miss Aidoo said the government under the Rural Enterprise Project was to establish a cassava chip processing industry in the district for production of cassava chips for export.

On fishing, the DCE said 80 outboard motors had been supplied to fishermen at subsidised prices and a Chokor Smoker had been built at Mumford for fish smoking.

Touching on the theme for the celebration, "Food Security and improved Nutrition for a Healthy and Active Nation" Miss Aidoo appealed to farmers to refrain from the misuse of agro-chemicals in order to make abnormal profits at the peril of human lives.

She advised farmers who were not conversant with the use of the chemicals to seek advice from extension officers.

Mr Francis Nutarkor, District Director of Agriculture, said 425 million cedis worth of inputs had been supplied on credit to 230 farmers in the cocoa growing areas of the district to promote the growing of the hitech cocoa.

He said his outfit had embarked on an intensive training programme on grasscutter rearing to prevent the people from burning the bush to hunt for the rodents.

Mr Nutarkor said the non-availability of tractor services had been thwarting the effort of farmers to increase food production.

He cautioned fishermen to desist from using unapproved fishing methods such as "light fishing and mesh nets to deplete fish resources."

Fifteen farmers, fishermen, organisations and personnel of MOFA were awarded at the ceremony with the best farmer award going to Mr Kofi Dekyi of KODEK Farms at Gomoa Wassa.