Mpraeso, Nov 28, GNA - The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), Ghana, an NGO of the Seventh Day Adventist Church, has assisted 550 farmers in 17 communities in the Kwahu South District to cultivate about 243 hectares of citrus fruits under the second phase of a five-year food security programme being sponsored by the USAID in nine regions.

The programme, which aims at increasing agricultural production and incomes for 20,000 poor farmers and their dependants, would also give 300,000 rural dwellers access to health and nutrition, education, safe water and sanitation facilities.

Mr Akyem Peprah, Kwahu South District ADRA Officer, said this at a two-day workshop for 40 collaborators of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA).

He said under the programme credit support was given to farmers in terms of land preparation, improved seeds and fertilizer and this increased crop production from an average of 400 kilograms per acre prior to the intervention to 900 kilograms per acre.

Mr Peprah said 13 communities in the district have been supported to plant 9,500 tree seedlings around school buildings, churches, along roads and other social service facilities, while over 270 farmers in the district have been linked to a fruit processing company in Tema.

The company bought 90 million cedis worth of citrus last year. The Deputy District Director of Agriculture, Mr Samuel Allotey, said MOFA would co-operate with all collaborators and assist them with effective and efficient extension services for them to adopt environmentally sustainable methods to increase production.

He said MOFA would also create an enabling environment for private sector participation in the funding and delivery of extension services since extension services would be more demand-driven and client focused.