Ejura (Ash), July 9, GNA - Three hundred and seventy million cedis were disbursed to 90 livestock farmers in the Ejura-Sekyedumase district for the production of sheep, goats and pigs last year. Mr Joshua Ayarkwa, the District Chief Executive, speaking to the Ghana News Agency at Ejura at the weekend, said the disbursement was under the livestock development project and that it was still on going. He said the main objective of the project was to ensure food security and to reduce poverty at the local level.

The DCE stressed that an amount of 71 million cedis have also been disbursed to farmers as loans under the Inland Valley Rice Project going on in the district.

"The estimated acres to be put under cultivation this year will be 1,125 with an acre to a farmer", he said.

Touching on the Ministry of Food and Agriculture's (MOFA) Special Maize Project in the district, Dr Ayarkwa said a total of 1,000 farmers benefited last year and that the number of the farmers have been increased to 2,500 with each farmer cultivating an acre in this major growing season.

The DCE said the NPP government needed commendation for the numerous agricultural policies being initiated in the district to improve the living standards of the people. He therefore urged the farmers to reciprocate the gesture to work hard and also endeavour to repay the loan so that other farmers would also benefit from it.

The DCE said a lot of development projects were going on in the district, stressing that many streetlights have been provided at Ejura, while road networks were being constructed. He indicated that the road from Ejura to Mamprusi, Dromankoma to Mbaana, Dromankoma to Kyenkyenkura, Sekyedumase to Drobon and that of Mamprusi to Kuradada and Nkwanta were under construction. He said the road rehabilitation and sinking of 32 boreholes were all part of the Community-Based Rural Development Project initiated by the government to reduce poverty particularly in the rural areas.