Navrongo (UER) Dec. 6, GNA - Government has launched a programme to develop 50 ground water sys

tems in the Upper East Region to support rain-fed agriculture. Five sites have been selected along the White Volta River to develop between 25 and 50 hectares drip irrigation system for the cultivation of high value crops.

Mr. Mark Woyongo, Regional Minister disclosed this on Friday at the 25th annual Farmers Day celebration at Navrongo in the Kassena Nankana District on the theme: "Accelerated Agricultural Modernisation for Food Security and Economic Transformation." He said government had provided about 60 tractors and three combine harvesters to farmers in the region to reduce the overhead cost of food production at the Tono Irrigation project site and the Fumbisi valley. The minister said agricultural production was also boosted through the implementation of the Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP) contracted between the government of Ghana, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the African Development Bank.

Mr. Woyongo said about $104.34 million dollars would be spent to implement programmes that would contribute to an equitable and sustainable poverty reduction and food security among households in Northern Ghana. He noted that government's intention to maintain subsidies on fertilisers initiated by the previous government was aimed at making inputs available, accessible and affordable to farmers to address the challenges of declining soil fertility as well as high cost of food production. More JA

NSOC 009 Social Farmers Day 2 Navrongo Mr. Woyongo disclosed that a total number of 52,444 farmers benefited from 140,000 fertiliser coupons in the 2009 cropping season, adding that the support given to them had yielded positive results. Addressing the unemployed situation in the country, Mr. Woyongo said government had established the block farms concept to modernise agriculture and ensure food security and economic transformation. He said the programme would provide employment opportunities to about 2,746 people to cultivate 1,175 hectares of rice to increase the production of the cereal and reduce importation. The minister emphasised that one major measure that government had put in place to accelerate agricultural mechanisation, ensure food security and achieve economic transformation was the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA). He said SADA would improve infrastructure in the three northern regions including roads and dams to facilitate the exploration of the potentials of the area and open it up to the rest of the country.

Mr. Woyongo commended the farmers for their continued support in contributing to ensure food security and economic transformation of the region. The District Chief Executive Mr. Emmanuel Andema advised the youth of the area to embrace agriculture as a source of employment because farming has a huge employment potential. Mr. Andema expressed worry about the rate at which HIV and Hepatis B was spreading in the district and cautioned the people especially the youth to re-orient their minds, attitudes and behaviour to reverse the trend. The acting Regional Director of Agriculture, Alhaji Abdul Rahman Ziblim Salifu said his outfit was collaborating with non-governmental organisations through extension delivery systems to share experiences in science and technology with farmers as well as provide other support services. He said the Ministry of Food and Agriculture was facilitating the development of farmer Based organisation, farmer produce group and identifying potential buyers for agricultural produce under the NRGP. Mr. Batabunga Zato, 45, from Navrongo took the overall Regional Best Farmer. He was presented with a corn mill, a sewing machine, six machetes, a radio cassette recorder, a bag of urea and half piece of wax print.