Loggu (U/W), Oct 17, GNA - The Upper West Region has set a target to produce 57,000 hectares of various staple food and cash crops within the next three years in line with its commitments to meet the Millennium Development Goal of reducing hunger by half by 2015. Crops that have been selected include maize, 10,000 hectares, Soya bean, 12,000 hectares, cashew 4,000 hectares and Sorghum 20,000 hectares.

Some 1,000 hectares and 10,000 hectares of land would go into the cultivation of mango and cotton respectively. Mr George Hikah Benson, the Deputy Regional Minister, said this on Monday at the World Food Day celebration at Loggu in the Wa East District.

The celebration was under the theme: "invest in agriculture for food security".

Achieving these targets, he said, would depend on the response of the region's farmers and the government would ensure that resources required were made available to attain the targets. Mr Benson said the establishment of a guinea fowl production programme to boost efforts geared towards increasing the nutritional status of the Region and increase the incomes of farmers was in the offing.

Mr Issahaku Mahama Adam, the Wa East District Chief Executive, said 290 youth have been engaged in agricultural ventures under the National Youth Employment Programme in the district. Under the District Medium Term Development Plan, the assembly would support each community to cultivate 10 acres of mangoes.