Regional News of Monday, 24 December 2012

Source: etvghana

Minister commends National Service Secretariat on their output

The Minister for Agriculture, Honourable Kwesi Ahwoi has praised the National Service Secretariat for their contributions made towards the agriculture sector.

He said teaching the youth of Ghana agricultural practices could not have come at a better time, when government has plans to invest more in graduates from tertiary institutions who wish to go into agriculture.

Mr Ahwoi said this at an inspection tour of some farms, belonging to the secretariat in some parts of the Greater Accra region.

The inspection tour took the minister to the National Service Secretariat farms in Dauwenya, where about ten thousand bags of maize had been produced by service personnel.

The maize was then handed over Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools.S, for further distribution to the various schools to supplement their feeding.

Mr. Kwamena Ahwoi expressed concern that many people, especially workers in the urban communities, offer little to support farmers.

Greater Accra regional minister, Nii Laryea Affotey Agbo was happy the region, though not known for agriculture has been able to change that mindset through the national service youth in agric scheme.

He also called on philanthropists and benevolent organizations, to provide more assistance to the agricultural sector.

From Dauwenya, the two ministers, accompanied by the executive members of the National service secretariat visited two more farms at Nungua and Papao, where service personnel had undertaken various forms of animal and crop husbandry, as well as aqua-culture.

The youth in agriculture scheme, since its inception has done a lot in terms of agricultural production, and the National Buffer Stock company believes the idea is laudable.

The ministry of Food and Agriculture said, in a bid to show government’s commitment to the youth in agric scheme, have purchased 11 Yutong buses and will soon be released to the secretariat for distribution to various farm centres across the country.