Kwamoso (E/R), July 5, GNA - Disaster Volunteer Groups (DVGs) undertaking farming at Kwamoso have been urged to intensify their farming activities so that they would be economically empowered.

The Akuapem North District Co-ordinator of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Mr Victor Doku, gave the encouragement when the Eastern Regional Co-ordinator of NADMO, Mr Ransford Owusu Boakye, paid a working visit to farms of the DVGs at Kwamoso in Akuapem North District at the weekend.

Mr Doku told the group that he had held discussions with the Akuapem North District Chief Executive over the threat to stop them from farming on the lands of the defunct Kwamoso Oil Palm Plantations, and expressed the hope that the issue would be resolved. He said the district had 30 registered DVGs who had cultivated 110 acres of crops this year.

Crops cultivated include cassava, maize, vegetables and plantain, while 10 of them are engaged in dairy farming under the Heifer Project under which they took care of cows for the production of milk.

Mr Doku said his office had also helped some of the members of the DVGs to be engaged under the government afforestation project to enable them to get regular income.

On his part, Mr Boakye expressed satisfaction about the fact that the DVGs were engaged in viable economic projects to earn their livelihood, and also for the fact that they would continue to stay in the district to offer their services to their communities, rather than migrating to the cities in search of non-existent jobs.

Mr Boakye later presented Wellington boots to the District NADMO Co-ordinator for distribution to members of the groups. Among the farms visited were a 20-acre maize farm for the Adom Multi-Purpose DVG at Gyemfiase and a seven-acre plantain farm for the group at Kwamoso. Others were a six-acre maize and cassava farm belonging to 10 DVGs at Kwamoso, and a dairy project for Otwerekrom DVG Dairy Farmers at Efutute.