June 26, 2019
The Sissala East Municipal Assembly intends procuring 20,000 elite grafted cashew seedlings for farmers in the municipal area for 2019, a sharp decline from 60,500 seedlings supplied to growers in 2018.
The supply of cashew seedlings to farmers is part of government's Planting for Export and Rural Development programme projected to boost cash crops for exports.
The Sissala East Municipal Assembly did not immediately assign reasons for the decline but said the supply would enable farmers to adopt and cultivate the habit of growing trees alongside food crop farming.
The Municipal Chief Executive Mr Karim Nanyua told the Ghana News Agency that plans were "far advanced" to take delivery of the seedlings for distribution by June 2019.
"Beneficiary farmers would be provided certified seedlings, extension services, business support and regulatory mechanisms," he added.
The initiative is a decentralized national tree crop programme that seeks to encourage economic growth and improve household income of rural farmers.
Under the rearing for food and jobs scheme, which is being piloted in phases in selected districts, the Sissala East Assembly has indicated that it was preparing to revamp a Guinea fowl project ahead of the programme launch on Monday in Upper West region.
Mr Nanyua said they had recruitment 12 professional and sub-professional agricultural extension staff to strengthen the agricultural department, in a move to reduce the farmer-extension officer ratio in the municipal area.
Reporters
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