Asuoso (Ash), April 26, GNA - Offinso district has been selected among two others in the Ashanti region to pilot the large scale cultivation of Jathropha plant popularly known as "Nkrangyedua" to produce biofuel in the country.

The two other districts are Sekyere East and West. The project is part of the long-term initiatives by the government to identify alternative sources of fuel to augment national fuel stock and also reduce the shocks the country often experiences during crude oil price hikes on the international market and its subsequent fuel price increases in the country.

Mr Augustine Collins Ntim, District Chief Executive for Offinso, who announced this, said 300 farmers in the district were expected to cultivate about 350 hectares of Jathropha plant in the district. He said the project would not only help to reduce fuel importation into the country and frequent fuel price increases, but would also serve as poverty alleviation intervention for farmers.

Addressing separate durbars of chiefs and people in some communities in the Offinso North constituency of the district, Mr Ntim said the Jathropha plant, which had a lifespan of about 40 years, could be harvested every two weeks when it began to bear fruits. Among the towns and villages visited were Tawiakrom, Mantukwa, Kobreso, Asuoso, Nkubesa, Bosomposo, Nyinatase, Tanokwaem, Asempanaye, Nkwankwaa, Mankramso and Seseko.

Mr Ntim pointed out that a good government was the one which initiated and implemented good policies and programmes that helped to improve the living standards and conditions of the people.

He mentioned the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), capitation grant, school feeding programme and National Youth Employment Programme as some of the good policies which the government was implementing to benefit the people.

The DCE advised the people to register with the NHIS in order to benefit from affordable quality health care delivery and also take advantage of the capitation grant to send their children to school. He appealed to the people to live in unity and rekindle their communal spirit in order to speed up the development process of their communities.

The chief of Asuoso, Nana Bofour Takyi III, appealed to the government to split the district into two, to make it easy to manage and also promote speedy development of the communities.

The communities appealed for the rehabilitation of their local classroom blocks, provision of potable water, reconstruction of roads linking their villages and the provision of credit facilities, especially to women to expand their businesses.