By Sumaiya Salifu Saeed, GNA
Ho, Dec. 12, GNA- A total of 100,000 farmers are expected to register for the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) in Volta Region by the close of 2019.
Currently about 70,000 farmers in the Region had registered and have been supplied with « improved vegetables, maize and raise seeds, foliar and granular fertilisers, » Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta Regional Minister said.
The Regional Minister, who was speaking at the second meeting of the Volta Regional Coordinating Council, said the intervention had led to an increase in the cultivation of rice and maize in all the 25 municipal and district assemblies in the Region.
He noted that rice and maize production increased from between 1.0-2.0 metric tonnes per hectare to 4.0-5.0 metric tonnes per hectare and 1.6-2.7 metric tonnes per hectare to 3.0-4.0 metric tonnes per hectare respectively.
Dr Letsa said statistics from the Agriculture Department showed that the Region was doing well in rice production and recording higher yields with average holdings of about 0.6 hectare and average yield of about 4.9 metric tonnes per hectare.
He said about four popular processed perfumed rice found on the Ghanaian market were produced in the Volta Region and stated the readiness of the Coordinating Council to help farmers to do more in the coming years.
Dr Letsa commended the timely intervention and vigilance of extension officers and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, which ensured that no maize farm was destroyed by Fall Army Worm (FAW) this year though a total of 9,561 hectares of maize field were attacked by the worms.
GNA
KK/DSA
