Environment Minister inspects vegetable farm under Adaption Fund
Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, has inspected a vegetable farm project at Welembelle in the Sisaala East District projected to enhance dry season gardening for improved livelihood.
The project is part of the Climate Change interventions which seek to construct and rehabilitate 10 dams, support beekeeping, irrigation farming, mechanization of boreholes and tree planting in 50 communities in northern Ghana.
It is being financed from the Adaptation Fund and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and MESTI.
The Minister’s visit was part of his tour to the 50 beneficiary communities of the adaption fund to ascertain the progress of work as well as assess works on rehabilitation and construction of dams and mechanized boreholes for the communities.
The estimated two-acre farm contained many varieties of vegetables including lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, pepper, cabbage, carrot, garden eggs, onion, garlic, ginger among others.
The project is part of commitment by government to alleviate poverty in northern Ghana and prevent migration of the youth to southern part of the country to seek non-existing jobs.
The Minister said the intervention would also prevent the youth from engaging in illegal mining and other social vices because it would provide them sustainable livelihood.
“This programme is non-partisan and the president wants everybody in the north especially women to be part of it and so I would urge you all to partake in this programme to enable you take good care of your children to become responsible citizens in future,” he said.
The Minister with his entourage later visited the Bugubelle community also in the Sisaala East District where he directed the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) to construct a dam to enhance irrigation farming.
He gave six months ultimatum to GIDA to finish the construction project for collection of water in the coming raining season.
The Deputy Minister of Upper West Region, Mr Amidu Issahaku Chinnia said the project came at the right time and urged residents to take advantage of the project and other social interventions to improve their lives.
He urged the contractor to do quality work as money for work delivery was available, emphasizing he should not do any shoddy job.
“Please don’t do the work because of money but put the interest of the people at heart and I can guarantee you of more contract opportunities,” he added.
GNA