Accra, July 23, GNA - Mr Ernest Debrah, Minister of Food and Agriculture on Monday assured farmers of government's support in ensuring that the country attained food security in spite of the inconsistent rainfall this year.

He said government was aware of how crops had withered leading to crop failure especially in the three northern regions mainly due to the over reliance on rain-fed agriculture.

"Measure are being put in place to change the rain fed agricultural system to that of an irrigation system to ensure an all year system of farming," he told some 50 farmers drawn from the ten regions to Accra for a day's seminar.

The farmers, all members of the National Farmers and Fishermen Award Winning Association of Ghana (NFFAWAG) were expected to pay a courtesy call on Mr Debrah in his office but the Minister rather visited them at their seminar place.

The farmers said their crops failed due to inadequate rains and asked for government assistance to re-crop because all their monies had been invested in the first farming season and it had failed. Mr Debrah said government was ready to support the farmers to re-crop because their services were indispensable in ensuring availability of food for all throughout this year. He said regional Directors of Agriculture had already been directed to distribute seeds on credit to interested farmers. Farmers in the three Northern Region would be given seeds for Soya Bean and Cow Pea with other logistics so that they could replant for the minor season whilst those in the south would be supported to plant maize which was also a fast yielding crop to meet the season, the Minister said.

Mr Debrah said the main problems with farmers was their reluctance in paying back government's loans and grants, adding that last year more than 60 billion cedis was spent to support maize growth alone, yet less than 30 per cent of that money had been recovered till date.

"Government is ready to support farmers, but if you do not pay back the support, we cannot continue to help you in your distressed moments," he told the farmers.

Mr Debrah said government was rehabilitating all dams that were not in use so that irrigation agriculture would be embarked on seriously. He said 42 billion cedis was being spent on the Tano dam to ensure that it worked at full capacity, whilst other smaller wells, dams, boreholes and tub-wells across the country would also be rehabilitated.

"Five engineering companies are already in the field exploring for surface water extraction that would be used for irrigation purposes," he said.

Mr Philip Abayori, President NFFAWAG, admitted that farmers were reluctant in paying back government loans saying, " We have come to the realization that our attitude in refusing to pay back loans has been a total setback of the agricultural sector.

"NFFAWAG is therefore promising and guaranteeing that any support that is given to the farmers through the association will be paid back in full. "This is because we have currently put measures in place that will be a deterrent to farmers who are habitual defaulters. Defaulters will be black listed to instil sanity in the system," he said.