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Minister calls on Wa West residents to embrace PERD programme

The Upper West Regional Minister, Alhaji Sulemana Alhassan has called on the people of the Wa West District to embrace government’s initiative of planting for Export and Rural Development and go into cashew cultivation.

Date Created : 1/14/2019 2:11:24 AM : Story Author : Ghanadistricts.com

The Regional Minister is of the view that the cultivation of cashew would help improve upon the livelihood of the people in the district.

He was speaking in Vieri on Monday during the climax of this year’s Daga-wiile festival celebration.

The Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) Programme is a decentralized National Tree Crop Programme to promote rural economic growth and improve household incomes of rural farmers through the provision of certified improved seedlings, extension services, business support and regulatory mechanisms.

To create a legacy towards the realization of the Ghana Beyond Aid Agenda, the Government of Ghana through the joint effort by the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and Ministry of Food and Agriculture rolled out the Planting for Export and Rural Development programme to develop nine (9) commodity value chains namely Cashew, Coffee, Cotton Coconut, Citrus, Oil Palm, Mango, Rubber and Shea through a decentralize system.

The programme seeks to create sustainable raw material base to spur up the decentralized industrialization drive through One District One Factory initiative.

The 5-year Planting for Export and Rural Development programme will support 1million farmers in 170 districts with certified free planting materials to cover over one (1) million hectares of farmlands and engage 10,000 young graduates as crop specialized extension officers.

The Regional Minister also mentioned that government will in the early part of this year introduce another Supplementary module of Rearing for food and jobs under the planting for food and jobs programme.

He said government will supply free poultry birds, feed, and Vertinary services for beneficiaries.

According to the minister each beneficiary will receive 25 to 50 birds in the initial rearing stage and called on interested individuals in the district to venture into the initiative.