Mr. John Dumelo, Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture and Member of Parliament for Ayawaso West Wuogon, has encouraged farmers in Ketu North District to adopt dry season farming practices to promote year-round food production and improve livelihoods.

Speaking during a working visit to Weta in the Ketu North Constituency, Mr. Dumelo emphasised the economic and food security benefits of cultivating crops such as tomatoes, onions, peppers, okro, and garden eggs during the dry season.

“I want to encourage you to consider dry season farming,” he told the farmers.

“If you need support, let us know, and we will see how best we can assist you, including providing small water pumps for irrigation. During the dry season, the prices of tomatoes and onions go up, so year-round farming will ensure there’s enough food in the system, and Ketu North can lead in vegetable production.”

The Deputy Minister made the remarks while distributing fertilizers to farmers under the government’s ‘Feed Ghana Project’.

He noted that Ketu North was the first district in the Volta Region to receive fertilizer support through the initiative and urged the farmers to put it to good use.

“The aim of the Feed Ghana Project is simple—let’s feed ourselves, feed Ghana, and export the rest,” he said.

“I want to make sure the Volta Region becomes the breadbasket of Ghana. That is why I’m committed to ensuring farmers here get the support they need.”

Mr. Dumelo also pledged to establish a Farm Service Centre in Ketu North.

“The centre will provide tractors, combined harvesters, fertilizers, seeds, and other farming inputs to make farming more accessible and efficient,” he stated.

He commended the MP for Ketu North, Mr. Eric Edem Agbana, describing him as dynamic and dedicated.

“Please continue to support your MP. He is working hard to make Ghana a better place for all of us,” he added.

Mr. Eric Edem Agbana, MP for Ketu North, expressed appreciation to the Deputy Minister for the visit and his support for farmers in the constituency.

He reiterated the government’s resolve to correct the shortcomings of the previous administration and reset the development agenda.

He gave an update on the long-awaited dam project, stating that he had been in constant touch with the Deputy Minister and officials from the World Bank to expedite the rehabilitation process.

“The original timeline for the project was too far off. After our engagement, engineers returned for reassessment, and we expect work to commence soon,” he revealed.

Mr. Agbana noted that an excavator brought in four months ago was already helping farmers to improve cultivation.

He also disclosed that Brazilian investors were preparing to cultivate over 3,000 hectares of land in the area and would soon meet with landowners to finalize arrangements.

He assured the farmers that the upcoming World Bank dam rehabilitation project would be carefully executed not to affect existing farms and called on the community to support the engineers.

Farmers in the area expressed gratitude to the Deputy Minister and the MP for their support, pledging to make good use of the assistance.

They lauded the government’s vision to make the Volta Region the breadbasket of Ghana and reaffirmed their commitment to contributing to national food security

Source: GNA