Akateng (ER), Dec. 06, GNA - The Upper Manya Krobo District Assembly has secured about 1,500 acres of land at Anyaboni for an afforestation project.

The programme, which would soon be embarked upon by the government is expected to offer employment for the youth in the district. Mr Joseph Tetteh Angmor, District Chief Executive for Upper Manya, disclosed this at the district's 25th farmers' day held at Akateng. He announced that the Millennium Challenge Account Programme is also ongoing in the district.

Mr Angmor said 14 Farmer Based organizations located in some of the communities in the area had been formed and were being trained to enable them to access credit facilities from the Upper Manya Krobo Rural Bank, to expand their agricultural activities. He however appealed to the bank to consider reducing the interest rate on the loans so that beneficiary farmers would not find it difficult to repay the loans.

Mr Angmor said to ensure that foodstuffs were not locked up in the hinterlands, the assembly had purchased a grader, which was being used to rehabilitate some of the feeder roads that lead to those food producing communities.

He appealed to farmers to improve upon their agricultural practices by consulting Agricultural Extension and Veterinary officers to be abreast with modern trends in Agriculture that could lead to increased farm yields even with very little land space.

Mr Frank Kofi Adu, acting District Director of Agriculture, advised farmers to adopt good agricultural practices in soil conservation, agro-forestry and afforestation.

He urged farmers to move away from subsistence farming to commercial farming in order to improve on their standard of living. Mr Adu advised the farmers to guard against the pollution of the environment, uncontrolled bush burning and child abuse, such as engaging children on farms and in fishing during school hours. In all 16 farmers and two institutions were honoured for their outstanding performance.

The overall best farmer award went to Reverend Eric Teye Kau, who received a motorbike, spraying machine, a full piece of cloth, pairs of Wellington boots, six cutlasses and a certificate.