Citrus farmers appeal for support

The Akuapem North Citrus Farmers Association has appealed to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to help them re-plant their orange farms which have withered, and some trees dead as a result of the long drought which has hit the district this dry season.

Speaking at a press conference at Konko in the Eastern Region, the Chairman of the Association, Mr Stephen Agyemang said he had been in citrus farming for the past 30 years and has never experienced such long and severe drought as that of this year.

He said as a result of the long drought, the orange trees of the members in the district had either withered or died and many other farms had also been burnt by bush fires.

He said since the area has just experienced its first rain since October last year, the farmers would need some support to be able to replant the trees that had died , withered or been burnt down by bush fires .

The Chairman said the farmers can overcome such challenges in future if they could be assisted to irrigate their farms.

Mr Agyemang said the current situation could worsen the unemployment situation in the area and other parts of the Eastern Region.

Citrus serves as source of raw materials for companies in the fruit juice industry in the region which also creates direct and indirect employment to large number of people living in other parts of the Region.

Some of the members of the association at the press conference also called for the rehabilitation of road network in the area for easy accessibility to their farms.

Mr Richmond Yeboah who represented the Akuapem North Directorate of Food and Agriculture Ministry said his department had taken note of the harsh climatic effect on tree crops in the Municipality and had sent reports to their head office for the necessary response.

Source: GNA