Thursday 9th January, 2020
By Stanley Awalime, GNA
Lakpo (VR), Jan. 09, GNA – The Integrated
Rice Farmers Association (IRFA) in Lakpo in the South Tongu District of Volta
Region say more young people are venturing into local rice farming following
“booming sales” recorded during the yuletide season.
Various rice farmers associations in the
District have started registering youths to undergo guidance and training for
the next rice farming season, which would kick-start in April 2020.
Mr. Bright Prince Amexoxo, the Chairman of
IRFA who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency, said the Association has,
already, registered five young persons with 20 more undergoing training to get
registered into IRFA.
He said sales increased tremendously during
the festive season during which all the 38 members of IRFA sold virtually all
rice harvested, but could not still meet market demand, adding: “So we are
happy our young ones are showing interest now”.
He stated that members of the Association
were working hard to expand their yields and ensure quality of local rice to
meet market demand, stressing: “with the interest of the youth in rice farming,
it would be difficult for local rice to run out of the market”.
Mr Amexoxo appealed to chiefs and land
owners to make lands readily available to the youth to go into rice farming and
also asked that the Government continued to make rice farming lucrative for the
youth.
The farmers appealed to government to
support rice growers with harvesting machines and irrigation equipment.
GNA
