Tono Irrigation Project our ‘Saviour’
-Farmers to Agric. Minister
Story by: Ishmael Barfi- Kassena-Nankana District
As the northern part of Ghana head towards the dry season, the Rehabilitation and Expansion of the Tono Irrigation Project has been described as a ‘saviour’ to the farmers in the Kassena-Nankana District in the Upper East Region.
According to the farmers, the irrigation facility when completed would help boost the farming activities in the region.
The renovation and expansion of the Tono Irrigation Project, according to the farmers, have come at the time it was needed to support them in their farming activities with regard to water during the dry season period.
To them, the renovation and expansion of the dam was a relief to their cries, especially during the dry season, since they do lose their crops, hence low harvest.
Tono Irrigation Project our ‘Saviour’
-Farmers to Agric. Minister
The farmers expressed their gratitude and appreciation to the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Owusu Akoto Afriyie for government’s intervention and support.
Renovation and expansion of the Tono Dam is a $35-million World Bank project, aimed at stopping the spillage of water which normally destroys millions of acres of farm lands in the district causing huge loss to farmers.
Speaking on the benefits of the rehabilitation and expansion of the Tono Dam, the Food Minister & Agriculture Minister, Dr. Owusu Akoto Afriyie, explained that his ministry saw the urgency to support farmers in Kassena-Nankana District to boost the region’s food production.
Also, to ensure more peasant farmers in the district benefit from the Dam that serves as a source of water to them especially during dry season in the region.
Solar panels at Tono Irrigation Project site
The Sector Minister made these observations during a working visit to the Tono Irrigation Project which was established in the year 1974 and served as a source of water for over 2000 farmers in the region.
Completion of the project, according to him, would benefit over 3000 rice and other present farmers in the Kassena-Nankana District in the Upper East Region.
This, Dr Akoto Afriyie believes, will benefit more farmers and improve yield, hence boost the country’s food stock.
Tono Irrigation Project our ‘Saviour’
-Farmers to Agric. Minister
Currently the project is 95% complete which includes the construction of walls, floors and the channels where the water finally flows before the farmers pump the water into their various farms.
The project, according to the sector minister, should have been completed some months back but the consistent rain fall washed away the steel way as well as the walls.
This, he revealed, necessitated the loan from the World Bank and within two years the project is about 95% completed to ensure the steel way will make the water fall and within one month the whole project would be complete.
On his part, the representative of the Water Users Association Federation, Mr. Robert Kwame Abokah used the minister’s visit to appeal to him to support the federation with land preparation implements to enable farmers cultivate large farmland, hence produce more yields.
Minister for Food & Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Akoto Afriyie
Responding to the request of the Water Users Association Federation in the region, the minister stated that his ministry was willing and ready to give them the needed assistance and support, therefore tasked the Federation Representative, Mr. Robert Kwame Abokah, to officially table their needs and wants to him for attention and assistance.
Earlier, addressing a durbar at the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), the minister reiterated that government’s policies such as the Planting for Food and Jobs, Ghana has become the food basket of West Africa.
To ensure women are not left out, Dr Afriyie directed the Director in charge of Women in Agriculture at the ministry to present a paper on how women can fully participate on food processing and modularity to improve women participation in the sector in the region.
The day’s working tour in the Upper East Region saw the Minister visit Zualogu also in the Kassena-Nankana District to inspect an ongoing construction work on a 44,000 metric tonne warehouse which is around 90% completed.
Source: www.thenewindependentonline.com
