Dormaa-Ahenkro (B/A), Dec. 23, GNA -Dr Agyemang Atuahene Kontor, Dormaa District Director of Food and Agriculture, has pledged the commitment of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), towards the commercial production of Sunflower as a non-traditional export crop. Dr. Kontor was allaying the fear of farmers in the District who lost the capital they invested into the cash crop due to marketing problems.

He was addressing a day's stakeholders forum on Sunflower, attended by 44 participants on the theme: "Sunflower, The Crop With Untapped Economic and Health Potential Within The Context Of The Ghana Poverty Strategy and Sustainable Development Enterprise".

The workshop was organised by the Tropical Agricultural Marketing and Consultancy Services (TRAGRIMACS)- Sunflower Ghana.

Dr Kontor said MOFA had sited two sunflower processing machines at Adentia and Nkoranza, in Brong-Ahafo Region to boost production and marketing of the crop.

Mr. Charles Koranteng Tieku, District Manager of Agricultural Development Bank, asked the farmers to form cooperative groups in other to benefit from credit facilities from the Bank.

Mr. Issah Sulemana, Chief Executive Officer of TRAGRIMACS announced that the sunflower crop season would begin in February 2005. Sunflower farmers have been supplied with two approved seeds from the Crop Science Department, University of Ghana, Legon and Savanna Agricultural Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.