The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) in the Northern Region has cautioned farmers to be careful in the way they deal with Fulani herdsmen.
The ministry also advised farmers to report the Fulanis’ activities to their chiefs instead of trying to confront them until such a time that government makes official statement on their activities.
MOFA’s advice follow farmers complaints about the nomadic herdsmen activities on farms at a day’s workshop in Tamale on the progress of agriculture and significance of Shea nut industry in reducing poverty in the northern region. It was organized by Institute of Statistical, Social And Economic Research (ISSER), OF University of Ghana, and Research for Development, (ZEF), and University of Bornn-Germany.
The workshop which brought together small holder famers, women engaged in shea nut industry, mongo plantation, officials of MOFA and the academia was to share research findings on progress of agriculture and significance of shea nut industry in reducing poverty in the northern region.
Farmers who raised concerns about the Fulanis’ activities say ISSER and government’s efforts will fail if pragmatic measures are not put in place to curb the nomadic herdsmen’s activities.
But responding to the farmers’ concerns, Northern Regional Director of MOFA, William Boakye Achampong told the farmers to be very careful because his outfit is reliably informed that some of the herdsmen are using AK 47 rifles in the bush.
He said government has come out with any issue to address the herdsmen challenges.’’ I will attempt to speak for government but, we all know what is happening in Agogo in Ashanti region and other parts of country on the issue of Fulani’s, as at now, you have to contain them’’ Mr Boakye-Achampong told farmers.
He further warned farmers not to engage the Fulani’s because they are very powerful and can kill farmers. He explained that, the nomadic sometimes talk to the animals and they run into human beings and kill you or destroyed farms.
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