The Chief of Gomoa Abassa and Nimfahen of the Gomoa Ajumako Traditional Area, Nana Okwadum Atta IX has cautioned that the”planting-for-food” programme to be introduced by the NPP government would be a mirage if traditional rulers are not consulted and involved in the implementation of the programme.
According to him, as custodians of the land, traditional rulers have a vital role to play if the programme is to be a success, and as such neglecting them will amount to nothing but failure of the programme even before its implantation.
Nana Okwadum Atta who gave the caution in an interview with newsghana stressed that apart from being custodians who can release land for the project, traditional rulers are the right source who knows what type of crops grows best in their areas and also have the influence on their subject to fully engage in the programme.
Though he described the programme as a laudable idea, he however appealed to the government to consider giving some form of subsidies to farmers who are already engaged in the activity to enable them expand their farms.
As a farmer himself, Nana Okwadum Atta pointed out that one major problem confronting farmers is ready market after harvest, and has therefore called on the government to create a ready-market where farmers can market their produce after harvesting.
He pointed out that lack of available market has always been the major problem confronting farmers in the country, making the venture unattractive to most youth, thereby forcing them to migrate to the urban areas to look for none-existent jobs.
By. Robert Ayanful
