Wa, Dec. 25, GNA - Mr Francis Akuffo, a student of the Wa Campus of the University for Development Studies on Friday, organized 550 youth tomatoes and okro farmers at Busa, a farming community in the Wa Municipal Assembly to diversify their farming activities. This is to make them all year round vegetable farmers instead of relying on tomatoes and okro that are highly perishable and unpredictable.

With the new arrangement, the youth would now be introduced to okro, beans, pepper and onions, which are not only cheaper but involves little risk in cultivation.

Mr Akuffo, who met the farmers at their farmlands and nursed one fanta bottle of onions each for them, advised that, they form groups in order to attract financial support from the banking institutions, rather than farming as individuals. He said the Ministry of Food and Agriculture had a lot of facilities in the Busa agricultural village, which could be used in livestock farming and gave the assurance that given the chance, he would train the people to become all round farmers in both crops and livestock.

Mr Akkufo, who was the 2000 best farmer in the Akuapem North District Assembly with his organization "Friends of the Environment" said, although he is a student, he would always find time to interact with his colleague farmers to come out with the best for Ghanaians. "Vegetable farming is very profitable in the country, and yet we do not give it any attention, but only allow our neighbouring countries to capitalize on that to export it to us at a rather expensive cost ", he added.

He appealed to MoFA to consider educating farmers on the use of improved seeds in order to increase yields that would also help the farmers to acquire their basic needs in life. The student also called on his colleague students to engage in agriculture, as it was profitable and could support them during their studies.