Bongo (UER) Jan. 23, GNA - Mr. Boniface Gambilla, Upper East Regional Minister and Mr Roy Ayariga the Regional Director of Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) at the weekend called on district assemblies in the region to allocate more resources to promote Agriculture.

He said the region had a lot of potential in Agriculture and if farmers were supported with credit facilities and the needed resources to undertake the three planting programmes per year, the area could produce a lot.

They suggested that the Poverty Alleviation Fund of the assemblies could be given to viable farmers groups who had tangible proof that they were into farming or would actually go into farming.

The two made the call at Bongo during the regional and Bongo district Farmer's day celebration under the theme: " Agricultural Production and Productivity the key to growth and poverty reduction" Mr. Ayariga asked the assemblies not to under-estimate the benefit of investing in Agricultural ventures, saying that repairing broken dams that would give employment and food to many during the dry season would not be misplaced.

He explained that the three-crop programme was a successful experiment that some farmers in the region were guided to undertake, Cropping three times in a year, twice during the seven months dry period and the usual rain fed cropping.

Mr Gambila noted that the district assemblies in the region had already been directed to provide farmers groups with water pumps for irrigation farming.

He said the coordinating council and MOFA were encouraging women to acquire at least one half a hectare of land to go into dry season farming.

Mr. Gambila urged MOFA and Agricultural based NGOs to organise trade associations that would negotiate for good markets for the local produce, saying "If farmers are unable to sell, they cannot re- coup production fund to re- invest.

Mr. Francis Asampana, Bongo District Chief Executive said MOFA and Mr. Albert Abongo, Member of Parliament for Bongo Central, from his share of the Common Fund, had together provided 10 pumping machines to farmers groups to undertake dry season farming.

He said the assembly had also budgeted for five tractors and ten pumping machines for farmers in the area He urged MOFA to educate farmers on the need to cultivate new varieties of crops especially early maturing ones.

Alhaji Sofo Sana, from Bawku Municipality was adjudged Best Regional Farmer and took the prize of one corn mill, one wax print a sewing machine, radio, one pair Wellington boots, a bicycle, and two machetes.

The others who came up best in the various crops had a bicycle, one wax print, radio, two machetes and a pair of Wellington boots. Mr. Seeta Hamidu from Garu-Tempane, for onion, Mr. Achuama Adobrimyeri from Bulisa district, rice, Mr. Asaman Aweya from Bawku West, groundnuts and Mr. Pubeng Gbanwea from Talensi-Nabdam, sorghum. For tomato and soya bean, Mr. James Atetoge,Bolgatanga Municpality and Mr. Peter Ayuri of Kassena Nankana respectively took the prizes, while Ayaama Akeam, Bongo district, came best for millet and Mr. Ahmed Bogobiri, Kassena Nankana took that for livestock. The best maize farmer was Mr. Issaka Atibil while the best fisherman went to Mr. Agoswin Zakari. Mr. Asampana Adebugum came overall best farmer in the Bongo district.