Ho, Aug. 12, GNA – Osagyefuo Oseadeyuo Agyeman Badu II, Chairman of the Forest Plantation Development Fund Board (FPDFB), has said plantation owners in the Volta Region deserve financial assistance from the fund.

Osagyefuo Oseadeyuo Agyeman Badu II said this after inspecting a number of privately owned forest plantations in the region during a three-day tour.

Oseadeyuo Agyeman Badu told the Ghana News Agency that there was no ceiling on how much could be given as loan or grant to a Forest Plantation Developers by the Board.

“The whole amount was available” he said.

He said for two years only GH?100,000 were given towards plantation development in the region out of the expected minimum of GH?150,000.

The plantations he inspected included the “Forest Trust” at Tafi Atome owned by Mr Mathias Akotia; the plantation of Mr Justice Paul Gyaesayor; the plantation of Kwame Kwamuar; the plantation of Daniel Ntim Budu; and the “Akrofu Environmental Resource Centre” at Jasikan owned by Reverend Dr Elias Kwaku Asiamah.

Mr Justice Gyaesayor told Osaedeyuo Agyeman Badu that his plantation has been a source of employment for many young men in the community.

Mr Akotia similarly said his 850 acre plantation has been a source of employment for more than 50 young men in the area.

He said he provided land for his employees who had worked for five years to also start their plantation.

Some major challenges raised by some of the plantation owners include high cost of labour, high cost of preparing land titles and reluctance of families to agree to have large tracts of lands developed into forest plantation.