The Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive,Mr Robert Kempes Ofosu-Ware, has cautioned fire victims to take education campaigns on fire prevention at work places and homes seriously to avoid destruction of property and human lives.
He gave this advice when the Tema Office of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) in conjunction with the Tema Metropolitan Assembly presented relief items valued at GH¢10,000 to some 50 fire and flood victims in Tema, Ashaiman and Kpone- Katamanso.
The items included mattresses, cups, plates, cooking oil, rice, blankets, roofing sheets , roofing nails and cement.
Those who received the items included residents of Site One, Tema, whose structures were razed down on June 10, 2009 rendering several families homeless .
Mr Ofosu -Ware said the use of naked lights during power outages was dangerous, and that residents in illegal structures usually forgot that they were vulnerable to disasters.
He noted that they indulged in illegal electricity connections and also had electrical wires hanging dangerously on their houses .
Mr Ofosu-Ware urged them to contact the Ghana National Fire Service for assistance and direction as to how to handle electrical gadgets, and what to do in times of fire outbreaks while waiting for the arrival of fire personnel.
He said the relief items were not to replace all lost properties but to help give them some relief and reassure them of the assembly's concern about their plight.
Mr Ofosu-Ware reiterated that Tema did not experience any significant flooding but noted that there were some isolated cases at the outskirts, and therefore those affected were also to benefit from the gesture.
The assemblyman for the Padmore Electoral Area in Tema, Mr Asumah Mohammed, who received the items on behalf of the victims, expressed appreciation to the NADMO and the assembly for their concern.
He emphasised that the victims had learnt their lessons the hard way, and promised that they would take the pieces of advice of the chief executive seriously.
Some victims who were present at the presentation showed gratitude to the assembly for honouring its promise to support them when the disaster occurred.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
FISHERMEN KICK AGAINST REMOVAL OF SUBSIDY (BACK PAGE)
FISHERMEN along the country’s coast have dismissed suggestions that the removal of government subsidy on premix fuel will restore sanity into the fishing industry.
Explaining their position, chief fishermen in the various fishing communities said the problem with premix fuel was not with its distribution, but rather with the small quantity given to fishermen.
They insisted that removing the subsidy on it would rather increase their cost of production and deepen their current frustration.
At the Tema Canoe Beach, fishermen were of the view that removal of the subsidy would shoot up their production cost, which would also lead to higher prices for local fish and make it less competitive against imported fish.
They said instead of the abolition of subsidy on premix fuel, the government should be urged to endeavour to make more of the product available on the market.
Some of the fishermen were of the view that abolishing the subsidy on premix would further undermine the local industry, to the advantage of importers of frozen fish.
The Tema Chief Fisherman, Nii Odametey, in an interview with the Daily Graphic last Tuesday, also expressed his disappointment at statements which sought to blame fishermen for the shortage of the product on the market.
Nii Odametey said fishermen at the Tema Canoe Beach had no problem with the constitution of the premix committees put in place to manage distribution of premix to fishermen, but that their problem was with the lack of the product.
He said, for instance, that the Association of Canoe Fishermen in Tema had 300 registered members who were supplied with one tanker a week, out of which each fisherman had less than 10 gallons for a whole week of fishing.
Denying allegations that fishermen were diverting the fuel intended to boost their trade, the chief fisherman said the situation on the ground meant that the issue was not about distribution but rather about inadequate supplies.
A member of the premix committee at Kormantse and Abandze, Nana Kow Gyanye, said the last time they had premix was two months ago, adding that now they had to buy super petrol and mix it with engine oil.
In the Central and Western regions, the fishermen said they spent about GH¢350 on one fishing expedition and that if the subsidy was removed, they would spend about double that amount.
Mr J. E. Afful, one of the chief fishermen, said he spent more than GH¢5,000 on premix per trip but hardly made a good catch.
He said the idea of putting the subsidy on storage might be a good one but it would not serve the interest of fishermen now because of their present financial position.
He said the solution to the problem was to release the premix to the chief fishermen and their teams.
Explaining their position, chief fishermen in the various fishing communities said the problem with premix fuel was not with its distribution, but rather with the small quantity given to fishermen.
They insisted that removing the subsidy on it would rather increase their cost of production and deepen their current frustration.
At the Tema Canoe Beach, fishermen were of the view that removal of the subsidy would shoot up their production cost, which would also lead to higher prices for local fish and make it less competitive against imported fish.
They said instead of the abolition of subsidy on premix fuel, the government should be urged to endeavour to make more of the product available on the market.
Some of the fishermen were of the view that abolishing the subsidy on premix would further undermine the local industry, to the advantage of importers of frozen fish.
The Tema Chief Fisherman, Nii Odametey, in an interview with the Daily Graphic last Tuesday, also expressed his disappointment at statements which sought to blame fishermen for the shortage of the product on the market.
Nii Odametey said fishermen at the Tema Canoe Beach had no problem with the constitution of the premix committees put in place to manage distribution of premix to fishermen, but that their problem was with the lack of the product.
He said, for instance, that the Association of Canoe Fishermen in Tema had 300 registered members who were supplied with one tanker a week, out of which each fisherman had less than 10 gallons for a whole week of fishing.
Denying allegations that fishermen were diverting the fuel intended to boost their trade, the chief fisherman said the situation on the ground meant that the issue was not about distribution but rather about inadequate supplies.
A member of the premix committee at Kormantse and Abandze, Nana Kow Gyanye, said the last time they had premix was two months ago, adding that now they had to buy super petrol and mix it with engine oil.
In the Central and Western regions, the fishermen said they spent about GH¢350 on one fishing expedition and that if the subsidy was removed, they would spend about double that amount.
Mr J. E. Afful, one of the chief fishermen, said he spent more than GH¢5,000 on premix per trip but hardly made a good catch.
He said the idea of putting the subsidy on storage might be a good one but it would not serve the interest of fishermen now because of their present financial position.
He said the solution to the problem was to release the premix to the chief fishermen and their teams.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
4 HELD FOR ROBBERY (PAGE 38)
Four persons who allegedly attempted to steal from a frozen meat company in the Tema Industrial Area have been arrested by the Tema Regional Police.
The police are, however, on the lookout for four others who managed to escape.
Those arrested are Shaibu Abdulai, 37, Tahiru Yakubu, 45, Yaw Badu, 30, and John Kudzo, 28, the driver of the vehicle used in the operation.
They had in their possession cutters, a drilling machine, a chisel, screw drivers and hammers.
Briefing the newsmen in Tema, the Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Mr Augustine Gyening, said at midnight on July 25, 2009, the Police Buffalo Unit in Tema had intelligence information about the intention of some people to steal from the JAK warehouse, near the Tema Technical Institute, where frozen meat is kept for distribution to outlets.
He said with this tip-off, the police laid ambush in the area and saw a cargo truck, with registration number GW 1702 Z, approaching the warehouse.
Mr Gyening said the occupants got down, and with the use of the implements, opened the warehouse by cutting the heavy padlocks and other locking systems.
He said in the process, the police moved in to arrest them before they could escape.
According to Mr Gyening, the police would investigate the suspects and trace the source of the truck to find out if it was a stolen one.
ACP Gyening said through the Operation Calm Life launched by the police, crime, especially armed robbery, had gone down considerably in the Tema Region.
He, however, commended the public for supporting the police by giving them information about the suspicious movements of strange people, assuring them that their identity would be kept confidential .
According to Tema police statistics, 21 robberies were recorded by the end of June, 2009, while assault cases topped the list with 696 cases.
The police are, however, on the lookout for four others who managed to escape.
Those arrested are Shaibu Abdulai, 37, Tahiru Yakubu, 45, Yaw Badu, 30, and John Kudzo, 28, the driver of the vehicle used in the operation.
They had in their possession cutters, a drilling machine, a chisel, screw drivers and hammers.
Briefing the newsmen in Tema, the Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Mr Augustine Gyening, said at midnight on July 25, 2009, the Police Buffalo Unit in Tema had intelligence information about the intention of some people to steal from the JAK warehouse, near the Tema Technical Institute, where frozen meat is kept for distribution to outlets.
He said with this tip-off, the police laid ambush in the area and saw a cargo truck, with registration number GW 1702 Z, approaching the warehouse.
Mr Gyening said the occupants got down, and with the use of the implements, opened the warehouse by cutting the heavy padlocks and other locking systems.
He said in the process, the police moved in to arrest them before they could escape.
According to Mr Gyening, the police would investigate the suspects and trace the source of the truck to find out if it was a stolen one.
ACP Gyening said through the Operation Calm Life launched by the police, crime, especially armed robbery, had gone down considerably in the Tema Region.
He, however, commended the public for supporting the police by giving them information about the suspicious movements of strange people, assuring them that their identity would be kept confidential .
According to Tema police statistics, 21 robberies were recorded by the end of June, 2009, while assault cases topped the list with 696 cases.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
COMMUNITY 21 LANDLORDS PROTEST AGAINST SALE OF LANDS (PAGE 47)
Landlords in Community 21, near Ashaiman, have demonstrated against alleged multiple sale of land in the area by the Tema Development Corporation (TDC).
Placard-bearing demonstrators claimed that in 1982 the TDC allocated the plots on lease to them but the corporation had allegedly re-allocated their lands to some corporate entities.
The land, covering an area of approximately 120 acres, was leased to the landlords in 1982 for use as farm lands.
According to the protesters, they paid GH¢42 (¢420,000) in 1982 for the parcels of land.
Some of the placards read "TDC you have no plots here, Stop selling peoples plots, TDC Na Chop Tema land and We no go sit down , government step in ", among others.
Explaining the rationale for the protest, Mr Ali Ayornu Sikatse, a landlord and protester, said TDC had the mandate to lease lands to prospective applicants.
In 1982, he said, those on the land in Community 21 applied and were granted the entry permits and other necessary documents to cover the transaction after they had paid GH¢42.
He said they had since then paid ground rents and honoured their obligations as landlords to the TDC.
Mr Sikatse said suddenly TDC sent letters to individual landlords in 2001 to quit the land which they had duly purchased and had taken care of all these years.
He stated that on receiving the letters they protested and went to meet with the management of the TDC.
Mr Sikatse said it was then that they learnt that the TDC had sold the land to three foreign companies, which later demanded the refund of their monies from the corporation when they got to know that the land was owned by other people.
He said last Monday, July 13, 2009 they spotted some alleged encroachers, a bulldozer and another earth moving equipment on the site clearing the area .
Mr Sikatse said on finding out their mission they were told that the land had been sold to Home Finance Company (HFC), and therefore they were preparing the land for a project.
He alleged that the TDC claimed that the original landlords were not financially sound and capable of transforming the area into an appropriately developed area.
Mr Sikatse said the landlords had submitted a petition to the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing to intevene and save them from losing their hard earned property .
He appealed to the minister to immediately consider their petition as ordinary citizens of the nation who also deserved to be treated fairly .
He said they were also ready to go to court for the case to be determined, and therefore would welcome an amicable settlement.
Meanwhile the TDC has denied engaging in multiple sale of land.
The Public Relations Officer of the TDC, Mr Samuel Abeka, explained that the land at Community 21 was reserved to be given as a freezone area but the proposal could not go through.
Mr Abeka said the area had now become a buffer zone, noting that the plot allocated to the HFC was not supposed to be part of the farmland.
He suggested to the protesters to seek audience with the TDC’s management for a solution to the problem .
Placard-bearing demonstrators claimed that in 1982 the TDC allocated the plots on lease to them but the corporation had allegedly re-allocated their lands to some corporate entities.
The land, covering an area of approximately 120 acres, was leased to the landlords in 1982 for use as farm lands.
According to the protesters, they paid GH¢42 (¢420,000) in 1982 for the parcels of land.
Some of the placards read "TDC you have no plots here, Stop selling peoples plots, TDC Na Chop Tema land and We no go sit down , government step in ", among others.
Explaining the rationale for the protest, Mr Ali Ayornu Sikatse, a landlord and protester, said TDC had the mandate to lease lands to prospective applicants.
In 1982, he said, those on the land in Community 21 applied and were granted the entry permits and other necessary documents to cover the transaction after they had paid GH¢42.
He said they had since then paid ground rents and honoured their obligations as landlords to the TDC.
Mr Sikatse said suddenly TDC sent letters to individual landlords in 2001 to quit the land which they had duly purchased and had taken care of all these years.
He stated that on receiving the letters they protested and went to meet with the management of the TDC.
Mr Sikatse said it was then that they learnt that the TDC had sold the land to three foreign companies, which later demanded the refund of their monies from the corporation when they got to know that the land was owned by other people.
He said last Monday, July 13, 2009 they spotted some alleged encroachers, a bulldozer and another earth moving equipment on the site clearing the area .
Mr Sikatse said on finding out their mission they were told that the land had been sold to Home Finance Company (HFC), and therefore they were preparing the land for a project.
He alleged that the TDC claimed that the original landlords were not financially sound and capable of transforming the area into an appropriately developed area.
Mr Sikatse said the landlords had submitted a petition to the Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing to intevene and save them from losing their hard earned property .
He appealed to the minister to immediately consider their petition as ordinary citizens of the nation who also deserved to be treated fairly .
He said they were also ready to go to court for the case to be determined, and therefore would welcome an amicable settlement.
Meanwhile the TDC has denied engaging in multiple sale of land.
The Public Relations Officer of the TDC, Mr Samuel Abeka, explained that the land at Community 21 was reserved to be given as a freezone area but the proposal could not go through.
Mr Abeka said the area had now become a buffer zone, noting that the plot allocated to the HFC was not supposed to be part of the farmland.
He suggested to the protesters to seek audience with the TDC’s management for a solution to the problem .
Monday, July 20, 2009
TOO MANY AGENTS IN DISTRIBUTION CHAIN (SPREAD, JULY 18)
ONE magnificent building that helps to define the landscape at the Tema Fishing Harbour is the Administration Block of the defunct State Fishing Corporation (SFC).
It is commonly referred to as ‘Corporation’, and remains a monument which reminds fishmongers of their good old days with SFC.
Since the collapse of the corporation in 1995, fish storage, preservation and distribution have changed hands with private individuals and companies.
Before its collapse, SFC went fishing with its own big vessels, numbering 20, preserved and stored fish in its 15,000-tonne capacity cold rooms and finally distributed through its cold vans to outlets in all the regional capitals.
The fish, found on the market now, are mostly imported and landed at the fishing harbour, where storage is provided by private cold storage companies which operate from the cold rooms of the divested SFC .
There are other clients who do fishing business at the entrance of the cold room, thereby making fish expensive because they add their profit before selling to fish mongers who do not have direct link with the agents.
In effect, after charging the agent for storage, the cold store operator delivers the fish on demand, but what has contributed most to the exhorbitant price is the number of middlemen between the agent and the monger.
Activities of some of these clients can be said to be a contributory factor to the high cost of fish on the market.
They have also infiltrated the beach and so, when canoe fishermen land their catch, they take stock before selling to the fishmongers at their own price.
Surprisingly, the fishermen themselves are not able to give the cost of fish on demand, but will only direct the buyer to find out from the women, who they describe as 'sit on the boat'.
Mr J.K. Nketiah one time Public Relations Manager of the SFC, outlined some of the factors that led to the collapse of the SFC.
Mr Nketiah stated that in the late 1970s, SFC flourished with a staff of 3,000, who were made up of fishing crew, engineers, administrators, salesmen, drivers, among others.
He disclosed that the Ghana Cold Stores merged with the SFC and adopted the name State Fishing Corporation to enable the two to operate under one umbrella. Mr Nketiah said at the peak of its operations, SFC extended its fishing activities to Angola and Mauritania with its 20 large fishing vessels .
He said these were the key areas where fish was in abundance, but after Angola’s independence, SFC lost its fishing rights at Angolan waters, heralding the beginning of the corporation's woes.
Mr Nketia said later on, Mauritania also came out with some stringent conditions, which compelled SFC to abrogate the agreement and withdraw from Mauritanian waters.
He said before then, plans were rife for the corporation to begin canning of sardines, but this had to be abandoned after losing fishing rights in both Angola and Mauritania.
Mr Nketiah disclosed that with the difficulty of getting sufficient fish in available fishing grounds, the finances of the corporation started to dwindle because the government was not in agreement with suggestions that prices of the commodity should be increased.
According to him, prices were controlled without considering the expenditures of the corporation, leading to financial losses.
Mr Nketiah said problems of the corporation were compounded with some unforeseen circumstances in the early 1980s and dragged on until its final demise.
He said during the divestiture, the SFC's regional cold stores were first to be sold out, missing out on the fact that they could have helped in storage now.
Mr Nketiah said some of the sold properties of the corporation included a three-storey Russian Complex meant for the canning section and training school in fishing. The cold rooms, the SFC workshops and the administration block were all sold out separately.
It is commonly referred to as ‘Corporation’, and remains a monument which reminds fishmongers of their good old days with SFC.
Since the collapse of the corporation in 1995, fish storage, preservation and distribution have changed hands with private individuals and companies.
Before its collapse, SFC went fishing with its own big vessels, numbering 20, preserved and stored fish in its 15,000-tonne capacity cold rooms and finally distributed through its cold vans to outlets in all the regional capitals.
The fish, found on the market now, are mostly imported and landed at the fishing harbour, where storage is provided by private cold storage companies which operate from the cold rooms of the divested SFC .
There are other clients who do fishing business at the entrance of the cold room, thereby making fish expensive because they add their profit before selling to fish mongers who do not have direct link with the agents.
In effect, after charging the agent for storage, the cold store operator delivers the fish on demand, but what has contributed most to the exhorbitant price is the number of middlemen between the agent and the monger.
Activities of some of these clients can be said to be a contributory factor to the high cost of fish on the market.
They have also infiltrated the beach and so, when canoe fishermen land their catch, they take stock before selling to the fishmongers at their own price.
Surprisingly, the fishermen themselves are not able to give the cost of fish on demand, but will only direct the buyer to find out from the women, who they describe as 'sit on the boat'.
Mr J.K. Nketiah one time Public Relations Manager of the SFC, outlined some of the factors that led to the collapse of the SFC.
Mr Nketiah stated that in the late 1970s, SFC flourished with a staff of 3,000, who were made up of fishing crew, engineers, administrators, salesmen, drivers, among others.
He disclosed that the Ghana Cold Stores merged with the SFC and adopted the name State Fishing Corporation to enable the two to operate under one umbrella. Mr Nketiah said at the peak of its operations, SFC extended its fishing activities to Angola and Mauritania with its 20 large fishing vessels .
He said these were the key areas where fish was in abundance, but after Angola’s independence, SFC lost its fishing rights at Angolan waters, heralding the beginning of the corporation's woes.
Mr Nketia said later on, Mauritania also came out with some stringent conditions, which compelled SFC to abrogate the agreement and withdraw from Mauritanian waters.
He said before then, plans were rife for the corporation to begin canning of sardines, but this had to be abandoned after losing fishing rights in both Angola and Mauritania.
Mr Nketiah disclosed that with the difficulty of getting sufficient fish in available fishing grounds, the finances of the corporation started to dwindle because the government was not in agreement with suggestions that prices of the commodity should be increased.
According to him, prices were controlled without considering the expenditures of the corporation, leading to financial losses.
Mr Nketiah said problems of the corporation were compounded with some unforeseen circumstances in the early 1980s and dragged on until its final demise.
He said during the divestiture, the SFC's regional cold stores were first to be sold out, missing out on the fact that they could have helped in storage now.
Mr Nketiah said some of the sold properties of the corporation included a three-storey Russian Complex meant for the canning section and training school in fishing. The cold rooms, the SFC workshops and the administration block were all sold out separately.
CLEAR ALL DRAINS — TEMA MCE (PAGE 29, JULY 17)
The Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Robert Kempes Ofosu-Ware, has charged the assembly's waste management officials to ensure that they cleared all the drains in the metropolis to prevent any blockage that could lead to flooding.
He also called on them to prevent fruits, coconuts and sugar cane sellers from dumping waste in drains.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic on Wednesday, Mr Ofosu-Ware said the assembly was making available internally generated funds of GH¢30,000 to repair a major road linking the one-way route on the market street in Community One.
He said the project was going through the necessary bidding for work to commence as soon as the weather permitted it.
Mr Ofosu-Ware said a tour of the major roads in the metropolis revealed that they were really in bad shape and needed to be repaired.
He said the Department of Urban Roads had submitted a proposal to its headquarters in Accra for approval for the rehabilitation works that would be undertaken within the metropolis, since the assembly did not have adequate funds to cater for such major works.
Mr Ofosu-Ware appealed to residents to exercise patience and wait for the rains to subside for work to begin, adding that the assembly was committed to providing the people with good services.
He said he, however, appreciated the challenges drivers and other road users faced and gave the assurance that the assembly had plans to meet their demands.
Mr Ofosu-Ware said the metropolis had so far not experienced any flooding, and pointed out that the assembly's waste management department was on the alert to ensure that indiscriminate dumping of waste was checked and continuous clearing done to prevent flooding.
Meanwhile, roads in the metropolis continue to deteriorate, widening the potholes and making drivers uncomfortable, thus posing danger to life and property.
He also called on them to prevent fruits, coconuts and sugar cane sellers from dumping waste in drains.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic on Wednesday, Mr Ofosu-Ware said the assembly was making available internally generated funds of GH¢30,000 to repair a major road linking the one-way route on the market street in Community One.
He said the project was going through the necessary bidding for work to commence as soon as the weather permitted it.
Mr Ofosu-Ware said a tour of the major roads in the metropolis revealed that they were really in bad shape and needed to be repaired.
He said the Department of Urban Roads had submitted a proposal to its headquarters in Accra for approval for the rehabilitation works that would be undertaken within the metropolis, since the assembly did not have adequate funds to cater for such major works.
Mr Ofosu-Ware appealed to residents to exercise patience and wait for the rains to subside for work to begin, adding that the assembly was committed to providing the people with good services.
He said he, however, appreciated the challenges drivers and other road users faced and gave the assurance that the assembly had plans to meet their demands.
Mr Ofosu-Ware said the metropolis had so far not experienced any flooding, and pointed out that the assembly's waste management department was on the alert to ensure that indiscriminate dumping of waste was checked and continuous clearing done to prevent flooding.
Meanwhile, roads in the metropolis continue to deteriorate, widening the potholes and making drivers uncomfortable, thus posing danger to life and property.
MORE PATRONISE LOCAL RICE (BACK PAGE, JULY 17, 2009)
MARKETING and patronage of local rice in the country have increased substantially as a result of the introduction of new technologies to farmers and improved varieties of the produce by the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA).
Consequently, some farmers who abandoned rice cultivation in favour of maize and vegetable farming are said to have returned to rice farming.
The Project Manager of the Research Centre of GIDA, Nii Ofoe Hanson, told the Daily Graphic during a visit to the Ashaiman Irrigation Farmers Co-operative Society (AIFCS) irrigation site, that the centre had recorded modest increase in the patronage and marketing of local rice.
He said the centre had collaborated with the AIFCS to boost rice production by setting up demonstration farms to provide practical training in new techniques of rice cultivation to farmers.
Currently, the farmers at the Ashaiman rice growing irrigation site cultivate 51 hectares, but efforts are underway to increase the acreage.
Rice production at the site can increase if all the main canal structures are activated to irrigate 74 hectares, which are yet to be utilised.
Mr Hanson said an assessment by experts had revealed that GIDA would need GH¢400,000 to rehabilitate the damaged and subsequently abandoned structures.
He rejected the notion that local rice was full of stones and said GIDA had a de-stoner which removed all foreign materials from the cultivated rice before marketing.
Mr Hanson said presently, local rice farmers at Ashaiman, Asutsuare, Okyereko, Nobewem, Afife and Tono were among those actively engaged in rice production and, therefore, called on the government to target all individual rice farmers in its effort to encourage rice production locally.
He appealed to the government to show total commitment to the sector by offering the farmers credit facilities to maximise production ,and said some farmers who had abandoned the rice business in favour of vegetables and maize cultivation had returned to rice cultivation because of the patronage.
The Secretary to the AIFCS, Mr Ben Kanatsi, expressed concern about the encroachment on the GIDA lands supposed to serve as a buffer zone for the irrigation dam.
He said the lateral intended to take water from the main canal to supply water to rice farms had been turned into washing bays by the encroachers.
Mr Kanatsi said the soap in the water from activities of the encroachers had affected cultivation and growth of rice.
Consequently, some farmers who abandoned rice cultivation in favour of maize and vegetable farming are said to have returned to rice farming.
The Project Manager of the Research Centre of GIDA, Nii Ofoe Hanson, told the Daily Graphic during a visit to the Ashaiman Irrigation Farmers Co-operative Society (AIFCS) irrigation site, that the centre had recorded modest increase in the patronage and marketing of local rice.
He said the centre had collaborated with the AIFCS to boost rice production by setting up demonstration farms to provide practical training in new techniques of rice cultivation to farmers.
Currently, the farmers at the Ashaiman rice growing irrigation site cultivate 51 hectares, but efforts are underway to increase the acreage.
Rice production at the site can increase if all the main canal structures are activated to irrigate 74 hectares, which are yet to be utilised.
Mr Hanson said an assessment by experts had revealed that GIDA would need GH¢400,000 to rehabilitate the damaged and subsequently abandoned structures.
He rejected the notion that local rice was full of stones and said GIDA had a de-stoner which removed all foreign materials from the cultivated rice before marketing.
Mr Hanson said presently, local rice farmers at Ashaiman, Asutsuare, Okyereko, Nobewem, Afife and Tono were among those actively engaged in rice production and, therefore, called on the government to target all individual rice farmers in its effort to encourage rice production locally.
He appealed to the government to show total commitment to the sector by offering the farmers credit facilities to maximise production ,and said some farmers who had abandoned the rice business in favour of vegetables and maize cultivation had returned to rice cultivation because of the patronage.
The Secretary to the AIFCS, Mr Ben Kanatsi, expressed concern about the encroachment on the GIDA lands supposed to serve as a buffer zone for the irrigation dam.
He said the lateral intended to take water from the main canal to supply water to rice farms had been turned into washing bays by the encroachers.
Mr Kanatsi said the soap in the water from activities of the encroachers had affected cultivation and growth of rice.
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