Obonsu (E/R), July 6, GNA - The youth and women farmers at Abiesi Tomkrom, Aleema and Obonsu in the Suhum Kraboa Coalta District of the Eastern Region have regretted living the urban centres to the villages to do farming.

This is because there is no means of transport to cart their foodstuffs to the market centres due to the bad nature of the roads in the area. They said they were fed up with walking six to seven kilometres daily, carrying their foodstuffs to the nearest big town, Awereso to take a car to either Nsawam or Dokrokyiwa to sell their produce. This came to light when the Agricultural Extension Officer in charge of the area, Mr Billy Yatsi visited them to conduct a statistical survey on crops and animals in the district. The project was funded by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture last week.

Mr Charles Okine, the 2003 District Best Farmer, who confirmed the plight of the farmers, told the GNA that the condition of the road, which had deteriorated in the area had forced the drivers to withdraw their services to cart foodstuffs to market centres. He said this situation was gradually discouraging the youth farmers in the area, who were supported with the Poverty Alleviation Funds and appealed to the district assembly to rehabilitate the roads to solve the plight of farmers.

The people at Akuffokumah, Octopah and Aleema, also expressed the same concern of bad roads from the surrounded villages to Dokrokyiwa, because of the heavy rains, which had caused their foodstuffs to rot. Opanin Akuffo Yirenkyi, a farmer told the GNA that the district assembly had given loans from the poverty alleviation fund to the youth and women farmers in the area and, "if the roads are not repaired to enable the farmers to sell their produce, how can they pay back those loans," he asked. He appealed to the Department of Feeder Roads to rehabilitate the roads in the area.