By
Dennis Peprah, GNA
Tuobodom (B/A), Sept. 24, GNA – Cashew farmers
in the Techiman North District of
Brong-Ahafo Region at the weekend, expressed worry over recurring
bushfire outbreaks in the area, which is causing great havoc to their economic
activities.
According to members of the Kroye Farmers
Association, unscrupulous activities of hunters, Fulani herdsmen and palm wine
tappers remained major causes of the bushfires and called for firm and decisive
action to bring the situation under control.
In the interim, the Association which had 609
members, appealed to the Techiman North District Assembly to enact bye-laws and
set up bushfire committees to enforce the ban on group hunting and check the
Fulani herdsmen against setting fires.
Nana Yaw Debrah, the Chairman of the
Association, made the appeal at a stakeholders’ sensitization workshop at
Tuobodom, capital of the District.
It was organised by the Association with
support from the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC Fund) and its
development partners, Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA),
European Union (EU) and the United States Agency for International Development
(USAID).
Attended by traditional leaders, Assembly
Members and representatives from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA),
National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and the Ghana National Fire
Service, the workshop was aimed at identifying and removing bottlenecks
hindering the economic activities of the farmers.
Nana Debrah expressed regret that bush burning
remained an annual ritual in the area and had negative impact on the
socio-economic lives of the people, who were predominantly farmers, hence the need
for a bushfire bye-law in the area.
The bye-law would help to enforce the ban on
group hunting as well as check farmers and palm wine tappers on how they
handled naked fires in the farms.
Mr. Isaac Adaebsah, the Secretary of the Association,
explained that the District was noted for large scale cashew production in
Brong-Ahafo.
But the bushfires had been a serious threat,
causing extensive destruction to the cashew farms because three out of 10
cashew farms burned every year, he added.
He said the perennial bushfires were making
the cashew farming unattractive to the youth and appealed to the District
Assembly and all relevant institutions to take proactive measures to control
bushfires in the area.
Mr. Adaebsah commended BUSAC and its partners
for the support, and advised the farmers to also make fire belts around their
farms.
GNA