Tamale, Nov. 6, GNA - The Parliamentary Select Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, on Thursday lauded the increase in food production in the Northern parts of the country, particularly the production of rice.

The committee urged the Minister of Food and Agriculture, to expedient action in acquiring more combined harvesters to assist the farmers to harvest their bumper rice and maize.

Dr. Alhassan Ahmed Yakubu, Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee said this when the committee interacted with the media in Tamale during its week-long tour of the Upper East, Northern, and Brong Ahafo Regions.

The tour was for the committee members to familiarize themselves with the progress in government's new policies on agriculture, its successes and challenges.

He commended the pilot project of the block farming system, which he said was easier to manage with lesser cost and could contribute highly to food security in the country.

He said the Upper East Region has a fantastic food production this year with limited land marks, citing the Tono Irrigation and Pwulugu tomatoe farms as how a "hopeless situation could be turned around". Dr. Yakubu who is also the Member of Parliament for Mion, appealed to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the Ministry of Trade and Industry, to collaborate in linking production to markets for farmers to get value for money.

He said there should also be proper storage systems for farmers to store their bumper harvest this year, since the international rice production was declining.

Dr. Yakubu said Pong Tamale Veterinary College had contributed significantly to the training of agricultural officers, but the school is now in a very deplorable state and there is the need for government to pay attention to it.