Gomoa Okyereko(C/R), Oct. 27, GNA - Members of the Okyereko Rice and Vegetable Grower Association have appealed to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) to help find solutions to a number of challenges facing them.

They enumerated some of the challenges as the lack of drying machines, pumping machines, trashing machines and the lack of fertilizers and credit facilities.

Mr Emmanuel Amoak, Chairman of the Association, made these known at the farmers=E2=80=99 forum at Gomoa Okyereko in the Gomoa East District of the Central Region.

Mr Amoak said these difficulties were hampering the activities of farmers and called for urgent assistance from the government to help alleviate their predicament.

The forum was organised by the Central Regional branch of Ghana Trade and Livelihood Coalition, an NGO that educates farmers on HIV/AIDS and gender issues.

Farmers attending the forum came from Cape Coast, Abura-Asebu-Kwamankese, Twifo Heman Lower Denkyira, Mfantseman, Gomoa West and East and Agona West and East Districts.

Mr Amoak said over 60 hectares of rice farms had been destroyed by the recent flood, adding that they did not have drying machine to dry the little produce they get.

He said the Association could not afford the cost of reconstructing a defence wall to prevent more floods as the project is capital intensive and appealed to government to come to their aid.

Mrs Gifty Agyei Boadu, a member of a NGO, appealed to Ghanaians to the stop stigmatizing persons with HIV/AIDS adding that they must be given the necessary support in the community.

She said research conducted by Ghana AIDS Commission indicated that Ghana=E2=80=99s HIV prevalent rate had dropped from 1.9 percent in 2009 to 1.5 percent in 2010.