Agric Minister tours Brong Ahafo, Ashanti, and Eastern regions

The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto on October 22 resumed his regional working tour to the Brong Ahafo, Ashanti and the Eastern regions.

The second leg of the working tour comes at the heels of similar successful ones undertaken to the three regions of the north.

A statement issued and signed by his Press Secretary, Issah Alhassan said the visit would largely focus on the Government's flagship Planting for Food and Jobs programme and the level of successes achieved in the regions.

It said the Minister would undertake field tours to some project sites and farms and also take the opportunity to interact with farmers and acquaint himself with challenges confronting their activities.

"Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto is expected to begin his tour from the Brong Ahafo Region where he would hold staff durbar and also interact with security agencies as well as fertilizer companies/dealers in the region.

“The Minister will also visit farms and inspect ongoing projects such as the construction of warehouses in the Techiman and Wenchi Municipalities.

“Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto would also pay a familiarization tour to the abandoned Techiman Tomato Processing Company(TEPCO) which is being revamped under the Government's flagship One District, One Factory policy,” the statement said.

In the Ashanti Region, the statement said Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto would pay courtesy calls on the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and the Paramount Chief of Mamponghene, Daasebre Osei Bonsu, on Wednesday and also address a durbar of Chiefs being organised in his honour at Tepa in the Ahafo North District.

Other major highlights of the visit to the Ashanti Region, it said, would include interactions with students and staff of the Ejura Agricultural College as well as visit to the National Service Secretariat (NSS) farms, which formed an integral part of the PFJ programme.

The statement said Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto would also hold meetings with some leading producers in the poultry industry and address some of the challenges confronting them.

“In the Eastern Region, the Minister and his entourage will visit the Afram Plains to inspect the Cattle Ranching Project which is expected to feature prominently in the Rearing for Food and Jobs, an initiative by the Ministry to revamp the livestock industry and also address the menace of Fulani herdsmen and community clashes.

“The tour will afford the Minister the opportunity to acquaint himself with the levels of progress at the Ministry since the rollout of the flagship Planting for Food and Jobs programme and also interact with staffs and other stakeholders in the agricultural value chain," the statement said.