Breman Asikuma (C/R) Feb. 5, GNA-The Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), a technical support unit of Japan, would support economic development programmes being implemented by the National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSS) and the Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa District Assembly, to facilitate the development of the area.

Presently, JICA has already assisted the NBSS and the assembly to form the Network of Export in Agricultural Business Development (NEAD), made up of people with community development, business and agricultural backgrounds to sensitise the public on business management. Mr. Antwi Boasiako, District Co-ordinating Director said these at meeting of members of the NEAD, at Breman Asikuma on Friday. He said the district had enormous agriculture potentials and appealed to members of the various economic groupings in the district to identify and harness those that the Assembly could not discover. Inaugurating the NEAD, Mr. Boasiako said subsistence farming contributed to poverty in the district and advised farmers to increase their production to enable them earn more income. He gave the assurance that NEAD would help them to engage in large-scale agriculture to produce crops for both local consumption and for export, adding that the district had all the resources to support the programme.

Mr. Aseidu Samuel, Co-ordinator of NEAD, called on members to work hard to increase productivity to enhance the socio-economic development of the district.