Inadequate officers hampering agricultural extension services in Agogo

By
Charles Tawiah, GNA    

Agogo, (Ash), Sept. 17, GNA – Inadequate
Agricultural Extension Agents (AEA), is hampering the delivery of effective
agricultural extension services in the Asante Akim North District.

Currently, one extension officer is catering
for over 2,400 farmers, a situation which makes service delivery ineffective
and inaccessible to many farmers.

Mr Eric Dwomoh, the District Director for Food
and Agriculture, made this known when responding to a question posed by a
farmer, who had been struggling to obtain extension services.

Mr Ohene Amoah, a vegetable farmer, during a
one-day training workshop on organic farming at Agogo, had demanded sufficient
services and speedy response from extension agents to address some of the
constraints facing farmers.

Mr Dwomoh, reacting, insisted that the lack of
personnel was the main reason for the irregular visits to farms.

The workshop was organized by the district
directorate of MOFA to sensitize farmers on the importance and the need for
organic farming as well as the use of organic soil-enriching inputs to produce
quality healthy food crops.

Mr Dwomoh urged farmers in the district not to
wait but regularly make personal contacts with extension agents to ensure
prompt response to their problems.

GNA