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AGRICULTURE

Planting for Food and Jobs improves food security in Bawku

Farmers in the Bawku Municipality and its surrounding communities have commended the government for implementing and sustaining the Planting for Food and Jobs policy (PFJ), which they say had improved production and food security in the area.

Date Created : 10/29/2019 12:00:00 AM : Story Author : Jerry Azanduna

The policy with its supporting programmes, fertilizer and seed subsidies has encouraged more people to go into farming, most farmers in the area have also been able to cultivate large hectares of farm lands with variety of food crops.

This was disclosed at the weekend during a Meet the Press series organised by the Bawku Municipal Assembly at Bawku in the Upper East Region to highlight its transformational agenda including; completed and on-going projects and the successful implementation of government policies and programmes in the area.

The meeting was also attended by farmers and the general public.

In a presentation on development projects and implementation of government policies and programmes, Hajia Hawa Nincheamah, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), said the PFJ had improved food security in the area through supporting farmers with farm inputs such as fertilizer and improved seed, which helped them to increase production of food crops such as maize, millet, sorghum and beans.

Hajia Nincheamah said over 81,975 bags of Urea fertilizer was sold at subsidised prices to farmers.

Hajia Nincheamah noted that some of the other flagship programmes such as the "one village one dam", the "Nations Builders Corps" (NABCO) and the "Free Senior High School" (FSHS) programmes had improved on the quality of livelihoods of the people in the Bawku area.

Touching on education, the MCE disclosed that about 2,086 students were admitted to the various Senior High Technical and Vocational Schools in Bawku and the Assembly and awarded scholarship to 51 students in 15 tertiary institutions to support their studies.

She said in a quest to improve healthy standard of living, the Assembly had constructed a Community Based Health Planning Services (CHPS) compound and a three-bedroom accommodation at Bazunde, while another CHPS was built at Sagabo-Kolore, to bring quality health services to the door steps of the people.

Hajia Nincheamah said improving water and sanitation was a priority to the area and the Assembly constructed boreholes with overhead tanks and pumps in communities including; Arizim and Megogo.

A 10-seater toilet with mechanised borehole was put up at the Bawku central market, Sabon-Zongo, Azanga, Patelme, Kariyama and Sagabo to discourage people from open defecation, while refuse containers was also distributed to help improve the sanitation situation in the municipality, she said.

The MCE commended the Municipal Security Committee (MUSEC) and the Bawku Inter-Ethnic Peace Committee (BIEPC) for their timely effort in sustaining the peace being enjoyed in the area and urged the people to support the Assembly to develop the area and maintain peace.