A two-time best vegetable farmer, Mr Benjamin Afrane, has appealed to government to divert water pumps seized from illegal miners, to farmers who are engaging in irrigation method of farming.
“Operation Halt” campaign has seen confiscation of several machines, including water pump machines, which have been set ablaze by the military led operation. But Mr Benjamin Afrane said instead of destroying the equipment, they may be of immense use to vegetable producers in encouraging all-year yield.
“Come to think of it, the government might even employ this technology to boost the effectiveness of its flagship initiative, Planting for Food and Jobs,” he opined.
He made the request when a delegation from the European Union as part of the “EU Archipelago Project, Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), visited the Kwadaso Agricultural College.
The team is in Ghana to contribute to the improvement of entrepreneurial and horticultural education, as well as to the creation of jobs in the horticulture industry.
The relationship is focused on the Kwadaso Agricultural College and is supported by TU Delft for entrepreneurial skills. The commercial sector and Holland Greentech also contribute.
Mr Afrane also urged government to provide discounted fertilizers and other farm inputs throughout the year in order to boost agricultural output.
On his part, Samuel Kofi Tekpor, Oforikrom Municipal Director of Agriculture, advised graduates in the industry to start their own enterprises rather than depend on the government for employment.
He charged the young students to view farming as a viable and profitable endeavor as well as a commercial enterprise that required in-depth knowledges.
