The Upper East Regional Minister, James Zuugah Tiigah, has appealed to the Veterinary Para Professionals of the Veterinary Medical Technical Association of Ghana (VEMTAG) in the region who have vowed to strike on 7th December over interim market premium, to rescind their decision.
Mr. Tiigah made the appeal at this year’s 31st Regional farmers day celebrated at Zebilla on the theme “Transform Ghana; Invest in Agriculture” where he stated that the safety of local and imported meat which is very critical to lives in the region, should not be compromised on the altar of manageable grievances.
He impressed on them not to strike but to continue to police the borders and abattoirs to avert any outbreak of diseases before, during and after the Christmas festivities to save lives as government is committed to resolving their grievances.
[contextly_sidebar id=”W005IpEkjC1syEeAo36gGEvulTtqHyug”]Mr. Tiigah said the agricultural sector was a driving force for economic transformation and increased foreign exchange to boost the country’s reserves and help stabilize the depreciation of the cedi with the right investments.
“Government in partnership with the private sector has made tremendous investments in agriculture through road and irrigation infrastructure to reduce cost and increase efficiency in operations.
The Northern Rural Growth Programme is constructing two irrigation schemes at Yariga-Tiengu and Googo both in the Bawku West District and the construction of the Fumbisi-Wiesi and other roads to link farmlands with markets.
Under the livestock Development Project, 6000 small ruminants were distributed to farmers in six districts in the region.
Also, 1,744 rice farmers have been supported to develop lowland valleys to boost rice production, whiles 7 commercial farmers have also been aided by the Ghana Commercial Agricultural Project to produce maize and rice,” Tiigah stated.
Mr. Tiigah reiterated government’s commitment to tap into the agricultural potential of the region in areas of Tomato, rice, meat processing and vegetable extraction.
While government is working assiduously to revamp the Pwalugu Tomato factory and the Zuarungu meat factory, he said plans are far advanced to establish rice-processing facilities.
Mr. Lazarus Akudi was awarded with a tricycle, a certificate, two bags of fertilizer, knapsack sprayer, two pairs of wellington boots and cutlasses, four poly sacks and one water pump machine as Upper East Regional Best Farmer of the year.
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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana