Wa, June 9, GNA- Mr Clement Eledi, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, has said only farmers who cannot afford to buy fertilizer at current market prices of about 40 Ghana cedis per bag would enjoy government's subsidy on the product.

Such farmers would have to contact extension officers of the Ministry who would issue them with chits to purchase the fertilizer at last year's price of about 25 Ghana cedis. Mr Eledi explained that the sellers would then send the chits to offices of the Ministry for government to pay the balance of 15 Ghana cedis to cover the market price.

He said these at this year's people's assemblies, organized by district assemblies in the Upper West Region, which ended at Funsi in the Wa East District at the weekend. Mr Eledi reminded the people that President John Agyekum Kufuor recently announced a number of interventions, which included the reintroduction of subsidy on fertilizer to cushion Ghanaians farmers against the harsh effects of the global surge in food and Oil prices. He stressed that the subsidy was meant to relieve poor farmers of hardships and rich farmers would not benefit from the package. Mr Kledi said mechanization centres would be established in each region where about 1000 tractors, expected into the country by September this year, would be put in pools for hiring to interested farmers who cannot acquire tractors.

He said one centre already existed at Wa with a pool of eight tractors and urged farmers to form groups to secure tractor services. Me Eledi said government would encourage farmers in the Northern part of the country to undertake large-scale production of mango for local use and export to lessen their over dependence on subsistence farming.