Ohiamadwen (W/R), Sept 29, GNA - A group of rice growers in the

Ohiamadwen community in the Shama District of the Western Region

have called on financial institutions to release loan facilities to them on

time, to enable them to prepare their lands, nurse and grow their

seedlings to ensure increased productivity. "We will be happy if the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) and

other allied financial institutions will process our loan request on time

and give us the money even before the month of May where

preparations starts," Mr Yohanes Duanyewutor, Chairman of the group

told the Ghana News Agency in an interview on Monday. He said the delay in the release of loans and slashing of stated

amounts by the banks and other lending facilities over the years, has

affected their work and general output. "The lack of requisite farming implements which include fertilizers, irrigation facilities, among others if improved, could increase out output massively," he added. The association mentioned fertilizers, sun-dryers, drilling machines, warehouse facilities and the lack of a properly constructed irrigation

facility as some of the challenges hampering their work. "Although officials from the Ministry of Agriculture certified our

lands in 2005 to provide irrigation facilities, little has been done to help

us," he lamented. Another difficulty the rice farmers had had to deal with over the

years is the lack of seedlings from the Ministry.

"The use of coupons to procure the seedlings is not helping us and the recent rains severely affected our fortunes, as it washed away over 200 rice nurseries that we had done for the new planting season in June," Mr Duanyewutor said. They therefore appealed to the government and other relevant stakeholders to assist them with rice dryer and separator, to enable them stock enough rice for the lean season.