Obelemanya (ER), Feb. 8, GNA - A road improvement project that is aimed at giving farmers in the Upper Manya Krobo area enhanced access to major agricultural marketing centres has begun.

When completed, the 13-km Gyekiti-Obelemanya road is expected to open farming communities hedged between the Krobo Mountains and the Volta Lake to enhanced agricultural productivity and fish farming, the District Chief Executive for Manya Krobo, Mr David Sackitey Asare, said. He said poor accessibility to bigger markets by virtue of poor roads had led to post-harvest losses and that the farmers had become "pawns in the hands of unscrupulous middlemen" who braved to reach the area.

A component of the project, according to the DCE, was a credit scheme that will offer financial assistance to farmers in the area to enter into agricultural ventures.

Mr Asare announced that in addition to the Gyakiti-Obelemanya road, which is scheduled to be completed in six months, the Asesewa-Anyaboni, Asesewa-Konkoney-Akumersu, Osonson-Sutapong, Asesewa-Akateng and Asesewa and Asesewa-Akrusu roads would all be improved.