The Agricultural and Rural Development Association, a Non Governmental Organisation (NGO), in conjunction with its German counterpart, EG Solar Cooker, on Thursday launched a cooker using solar energy, known as the "Ewianoa Solar Cooker". Speaking at the launching, Mr Henry Yanney, Project Director of the NGO said the introduction of the cookers was to reduce the reliance on hydroelectric power and fuel wood for cooking with their attendant pressure on the environment.

He said the country's ecology was fast depleting due to excessive felling of trees, adding that, the NGO had subsidised the cost of the cookers to enable the people to contribute towards environmental protection.

Mr Yanney said a similar product had been tested in the three northern regions and Koforidua.

Mr Kingsley Nii Addy, International Director of the NGO presented two of the cookers valued at 750,000 cedis to National Vocational Training Institute at Swedru and the Agona District Assembly.

Mrs Marlene Breitinger, Representative of EG Solar Cooker in Germany, said the product was first launched in Togo in 1987 and was being used in 100 countries.

She said a factory would be established in the country to manufacture the cookers as a way of job creation