Ghana Districts: A repository of all Local Assemblies in Ghana

AGRICULTURE

Ho West District Assembly targets 6000 farmers under PERD in 2019

The Ho West District Assembly in the Volta Region is targeting about six thousand farmers in the District to benefit from the Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) programme in the year 2019.

Date Created : 1/4/2019 8:28:02 AM : Story Author : William Dei-Gyau/Ghanadistricts.com

This was disclosed by the District Chief Executive for the area Victor Ernest Apau to the polling station executives and the electoral area coordinators during an open forum with the DCE which is aimed educating, empowering and explaining to the grassroots government policies and programmes and also used the opportunity to gather details about the delegates for future job opportunities at the forecourt of the District Assembly in Dzolokpuita.

According to Victor Ernest Apau the Assembly last year supported about 5000 farmers within the District with various cash crops.

"We last year last year supported about 5000 farmers in this District with various cash crops under the Planting for Export and Rural Development programme, we distributed cocoa, cashew, and coffee, this year we will distribute the same products to about 6000 people free of charge" he noted.

"We are nursing a large quantity of Cocoa, coffee and cashew to be distributed to farmers free of charge as done in 2018" he added.

In addition Hon. Victor Apau revealed that "the Assembly is working closely with the 16 Traditional Council's in the District to implement what I called One Paramouncy One Farm, which was initiated by myself will kick starting this year to serve as a source of financial support to the traditional authorities to cater for their expenses whiles providing employment to the teaming youth".

Ernest Victor Apau revealed that the Ho West District Assembly is not left out in sharing of the National cake, "We have received our own share of the national cake as expected since I resume office as the District Chief Executive of this Assembly, a number of our graduate unemployed were enrolled on the Nation's Builders Corp, the Youth Employment has also absorbed most of our SHS levers, we were not left out in the One District One Factory policy, One Million per Constituency we are benefiting, we have also received the necessary materials and support needed for the smooth implementation of the Planting for Food and Jobs programmes, we at the Assembly through the Department of Agriculture has distributed to these farmers who requested for it urging them a smoother implementation of the programme in the year 2019.

The DCE then appluded the Kpedze Senior High School for it effort to take advantage of the Planting for Food and Jobs policy by cultivating 25 acres of maize and eight acres of rice farm in 2017 farming season and again cultivating 25 acres of maize and ten acres of rice in the 2018 farming season hoping they will in 2019 improve on their success challenging other schools in the district and the nation at large to emulate the Kpedze SHS which could raise funds to end some unnecessary dues levied on students and parents.

He appealed to the youth not to wait for white coloured job opportunity but should embrace the industralisation agenda of the President Akufo Addo by venturing into farming saying farming today has been attractive which will fetch a lot of money into the system.

In efforts to justify why the assembly has not been able to initiate new infrastructure projects in the district even though the Assembly has tremendously increased its Internal Generated Fund (IGF).

The District Assembly Executive stated that "I came to meet a lot of infrastructure projects initiated by the previous NDC government paying only 10% of the contract sum, as it is government is a continuous process and it is my mandate to see those projects complete. As I am speaking to you we have paid 75% of those contract. Most of those projects has been completed and handled over to its beneficiary communities whiles other are at various stages of completion".

He assured the gathering of more projects to be initiated and completed before the end of his term of office.

The DCE ceased the opportunity to renew all participants National Health Insurance cards to empower them seek health care delivery.

The New Patriotic Party Constituency chairman of the area called on the delegates to carry the information and education received on the government policies and programmes to their various polling station and also start drawing the roadmap towards victory 2020.

The programmes was graced by the Volta Regional Chairman Makafui Kofi Woanya, the Regional financial Secretary Wisdom Kwaku Jid Gakpo, the Deputy Regional Youth Organizer, the Regional President of NPP ladies, Constituency Chairmen from sister Constituencies, former executives, Patrons among others.