The Ministry of Food and Agriculture through the Northern Rural Growth Program (NRGP) has handed over 646.25 kilometer feeder roads to the Feeder Road Department and the Savelugu/Nanton Municipal assembly.
The roads are currently serving over 248,000 direct community members and benefiting over 500, 000 indirect beneficiaries including input dealers, marketers and other project staff.
Three hundred and forty-five communities in 41 districts across the country are also benefiting from the peoject.
The project forms part of NRGP infrastructure component to develop the potential for irrigation and integrated water management to shift from the over dependent on rain fed cultivation which is highly vulnerable to climate change risk.
The project is being financed
by the Africa Development Bank (AfDB),The Agriculture Develop access to FINANCE and program management is being financed
by International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), at the total cost of 62 million US dollars whilst taxes amounting to 10 million US dollars was government of Ghana's contribution to the project.
The NRGP program was aimed at addressing constraints to poverty reduction by improving production and marketing infrastructure, rural roads and storage facilities to support agricultural value-chain activities.
At the official handing over ceremony of the road to Feeder roads department and Savelugu assembly in Kukobila in the Savelugu/Nanton municipality, the Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in-charge of crop, Dr Alhassan Ahmed Yakuku told the farmers that, farming was now business and that government was committed in supporting farmers in the country.
Farmer’s productivity according to Dr Yakubu has been increased from 0.8 metric tons per hectare to 3.5 metric tons per hectare for some of the beneficiary communities.
He attributed the increase to farmer’s access to improve inputs and access to market. Many farmers have also expanded their fields from 0.4 meters to over 2 hectares in areas where roads are constructed.
The project was not only assisting farmers in agriculture sector but also provided some social amenities such as schools and health centers.
The Deputy Agriculture Minister entreated both the feeder roads and the assembly to ensure periodic maintenance of the 646.25km roads. Acting National Coordinator of NRGP, Mr Felix Darimani explained that NRGP selected feeder popping up in areas that has great potential for agriculture production to enable farmers to cart inputs into their farm and also cart produce from farms to the market centers.
Mr Darimani said opening up the farming communities will enhance farmer productivity and incomes.
The Municipal Chief Executive for Savelugu/Nanton, Alhassan Abdulai Red said the roads will go a long way improved agriculture production and also marketing the municipality.
The municipality he said has a greater potential of reducing poverty through it’s the fertile agricultural land and water bodies.
The savelugu MCE called on investors to take advantage of the area water bodies such Nabogu-Nasia rice valley the land potency and invest in agriculture.
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