Kumasi, June 1, GNA - Mr. Emmanuel Asamoah Owusu-Ansah, Ashanti Regional Minister, has stated that government has since last year given a total loan of 120,375.97 Ghana cedis to 60 rice farmers in the Ashanti Region for the cultivation of local rice. The move, he said, forms part of measures initiated to ensure success of the Inland Valley Rice Development and Nerica Rice Dissemination Projects aimed at increasing the production of local rice to reduce its importation whiles increasing the income of smallholder farmers. He indicated that the projects cover a total land area of 724.25 acres in three districts of the region, namely, Ejisu-Juaben, Ejura and Ahafo-Ano South.

Mr Owusu-Ansah was speaking at the Regional People's Assembly held in Kumasi at the weekend. Touching on the Special Maize Programme, he said under the scheme, government had so far given a total sum of about 1,656,000 Ghana cedis as loans to 13,800 farmers in the Region to support them in boosting maize cultivation and that the beneficiary farmers were also given technical support for the success of the programme. The Regional Minister stated that expansion works were currently underway at the Barekese and Owabi Dams and when completed would increase water supply from the current 16 million gallons to 27 million a day to the metropolis. Besides, he said, about 50 kilometres of pipelines were being laid to boost water coverage to 70 per cent. On drainage works, Mr Owusu-Ansah announced that within the last seven years, projects executed totalled about 179.89 kilometres, noting that areas which benefited from these works included Suame, Kropo, Suame-Kotoko and Adiembra. The rest are Daban, Kwadaso-Nsuom, Tarkwa-Maakro, Gyinase and Asuoyeboa.

The Regional Minister stressed that a total number of 253 culverts were also constructed at the cost of 3,341,819.84 Ghana cedis and that the length or roads rehabilitated during the period measured 110.82 kilometres whilst an amount of 15,773,372.36 Ghana cedis was spent on the works.

He announced that 9.90 kilometres of roads had been provided with streetlights at a cost of 731,880 Ghana cedis.