District Assembly supports farmers to build houses

Farmers who won awards at the Agotime-Ziope District Farmers’ Day celebration have received support from the Assembly to build houses.

The farmers received between 15 and 30 bags of cement each, apart from other items and would be monitored and given other technical assistance to put up residential accommodations for themselves and for rent.

Mr Michael Kobla Adzaho, the District Chief Executive, said this at a durbar to mark day at Ziope.

He said the initiative was to increase the housing stock in the district and make it a preferred destination for nurses, teachers and other public servants.

“We will help the farmers to rent part of these houses out to nurses, teachers and other public servants to raise some money,” Mr Adzaho said.

He said it was unfortunate that irrespective of farmers’ huge contributions to nation building, many continued to live under poor conditions and expressed the hope that the initiative would help improve their living standards.

Mr Adzaho commended the youth in the district for embracing farming and said this had reduced youth unemployment in the area.

“I am particularly happy about our youth who are now doing serious farming. Some even walk several miles to fetch water to irrigate their crops. It is very inspiring,” he said.

Mr Adzaho assured the people that the government would soon construct a dam at Ziope to meet water needs of farmers across the seasons in the area.

He advised them to form farmer-based groups so they could access loans to increase their yields.

Ten 10 farmers were awarded with Mr. Mathias Dzebu, 37, emerging as the District Best Farmer.

He farmed groundnut, cassava, yam, cocoyam, tomatoes, garden egg, pepper, sweet potato, plantain and palm oil.

Mr Dzebu also has fowls, guinea fowls, sheep and goats.

He received 30 bags of cement, a bicycle, a pair of Wellington boots, four cutlasses and a half piece of cloth.

Mr Dzebu told the GNA that the challenges facing farmers in the District were bad roads and the absence of a dam to irrigate crops.

Source: GNA