In the quest to increase agricultural productivity in Bono Region, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, has assured his outfit is ready to train and employ more than a thousand extension officers to facilitate its activities.

Dr. Akoto Afriyie revealed that a variety of technology is significant in the agricultural sector which helps boost productivity in the country.

He made the disclosure at a staff durbar at the Bono Regional Coordinating Council in Sunyani, together with staff of the Ministry as well as,  Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), he interacted with agro-input dealers to discuss and address challenges in this year’s supply of subsidized seeds and fertilizers, on the second day of his regional tour on Tuesday, July 6, 2021.

The six-day working visit is focusing largely on assessing the successes and progress made so far in the first four years of the implementation of the government’s flagship programme, ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ initiatives.

“It’s something that I’m going to work on to make sure that we have more extension officers,” he assured.

According to him, there are more than a thousand qualified young men and women who have graduated from various institutions but sitting at home doing nothing. Meanwhile, their services are well needed on the field.

“…. it’s not as if we don’t have them, thousands of qualified young men and women from our universities, from our colleges who are sitting at home doing nothing with all the knowledge which are needed by our farmers,” he lamented.

He furthered that, he is going back to the government to appeal for more extension officers to make sure there’s bumper harvest throughout the year.

“I will go back to the government, to my colleague cabinet to cry for more extension officers, so we are going to get more extension officers,” he pledged.

At the Jinijini Tomato Farm Field in the Brekum West District of the Bono Region to inspect ongoing projects, the Minister interacted with farmers and beneficiaries of the flagship  Planting for Food and Jobs programme.

The tomato farmers pleaded with the government to construct a dam for them which will help them in irrigation and also help them with mechanisms to work.

By: Ernestina Afake | Metrotvonline.com | Ghana