Regional News of Saturday, 17 July 2010

Source: GNA

Atebubu Assembly undertakes rice cultivation to boost income

Atebubu (B/A) July 17, GNA - The Atebubu-Amantin District Assembly in the Brong Ahafo Region, has embarked on commercial rice farming project on a 50-acre land to boost internally generated fund.

The project; also aims at providing employment for people in the area, and encourage more farmers to cultivate rice.

Mr Sanja Nanja, District Chief Executive who made this known to the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Thursday at Atebubu, said the initiative has the potential to earn the district about GHc 45,000.00 per season.

He said the district is host to agrarian communities where crops like cereals, tubers, vegetables and legumes remained the predominant occupation of majority of the people.

Mr Nanja said the district assembly had projected to cultivate 100 acres of rice annually.

About 600 bags of rice are expected at the end of every crop season.

Mr Nanja commended Technoserve, a US agricultural services organisation for the provision of technical assistance to the district.

He said the rice product would be targeted at schools which are hooked to the Ghana School Feeding Programme.

Mr Samuel Otu-Asare, District Finance Officer said he was optimistic that the project would be a success to enable the assembly to veer to the cultivation of crops such as yam, cassava, maize and vegetable.