Farmer calls for reintroduction of institutional farming

Opanyin Kofi Wontumi, Chief Farmer of Akurakese near Adawso, has appealed to the Government to bring back farming in institutions to cut down feeding cost.

He said the financial burden on the school feeding programme could be reduced if the Junior High and Senior High schools, tertiary institutions and the security agencies were made to farm besides their core functions.

Opanyin Wontumi told the GNA in an interview that in view of the school feeding programme, enrolment in schools had increased thereby putting pressure on the economy.

He appealed to the Ministry of Education, Parent/Teacher Associations and School Management Committees to make it compulsory for institutions, which have large tracts of fertile land around them to farm on them to produce food to feed the pupils or students.

He said the move would also serve as a way of introducing farming in schools at their early stages while realising the importance and the benefits of farming.

Opanyin Wontumi urged the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to ensure that its extension officers were in the field to supervise and ensure the proper management of the farms.

He commended the Government for introducing the “block farming system” that would reduce unemployment.

Source: GNA