Ziope cries for tomato factory
Torgbui Binah Lawluvi VI, Paramount Chief of Ziope Traditional Area, has appealed to government to make good its promise of establishing tomato factory at Ziope.
He said the absence of the facility was affecting agriculture in the area since tomato farmers experienced glut every year.
Torgbui Lawluvi made the appeal at this year’s Agbleza Festival of the chiefs and people of Ziope in the Agotime-Ziope District.
The festival was on the theme, “Modernizing Agriculture to improve our livelihood.”
Ziope is noted for tomato farming in commercial quantities.
Torgbui Lawluvi noted that though young people in the area were interested in farming, the lack of ready market was discouraging them.
He said consequently, some youth had left the town for the cities in for menial jobs.
Torgbui Lawluvi said the town risked becoming a ghost town and called for immediate support from government.
Some youth told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the Keyime Dam also needed to be re-constructed for irrigation farming in the area.
During the 2012 celebration of the festival, an official from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture said plans were afoot towards securing mobile tomato processing machines for the community. The promise, he added, was yet to materialize.
Torgbui Lawluvi also appealed to government to fulfill its promise to absorb the Ziope Senior High School, initiated by the community.
Mr Francis Ganyaglo, Deputy Volta Regional Minister, underscored the importance of farming and said it must not be viewed as for the uneducated.
He urged farmers in the community to engage the services of officials of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) to improve on their farming methods.
Mrs Juliana Azumah-Mensah, Member of Parliament for the area, advised the farmers to form groups to increase production and attract the attention of government for support.
Mr Michael Kobla Adzaho, Agotime-Ziope District Chief Executive commended chiefs in the area for maintaining peace and said government would construct roads linking to farm gates.
The community later honoured Togbui Lawluvi on his election as a Member of the Council of State.
Source: GNA