
Audio By Carbonatix
Tonnes of food produce are locked up in the Sene districts of the Bono Ahafo region as poor roads make the area inaccessible even before this year’s bumper harvest reaches its peak.The Sene east and west districts do not have a single kilometer of asphalt road though it remains a heavy producer of yam, maize, rice, groundnut and livestock.Heavy rains in the past weeks have left feeder roads in the area with murky swamps and pools of clayey water in deep trenches.Farmers, who form more than 90% of the population in the two districts, are helpless as they watch their produce rot on their farms.The few middle men who make the tiring 46- kilometer journey stretching from the Atebubu-Amantin district to Kejeji, the Sene east district capital, buy the farm produce at cheap prices making the producers worse off.The National Food Buffer Stock Company, the body set up by the government to buy excess produce from farmers at guaranteed prices to prevent post harvest losses, has also reported it is handicapped.The company’s Director of Operations , Kenneth Aquaye told Myjoyonline.com last week that the company has not been able to purchase maize from the northern region, where similar cases had been reported, because it does not have the facilities to store them.“I took a loan of GH¢ 2,000 from the local bank to start my groundnut farm 6 months ago and I don’t know how I’m going to pay it back so I can start another farming season. I’ve spent the money clearing the land and paying labourers to work on it but my produce are still here,” says Mr James Kumah, one farmer, as he sprays pests feasting on his 10 bags of groundnut harvest.
Paying back of loans given out to farmers is a condition for new moneys to be given out by banks in the area for farmers to begin a new farming season.The chief of Bassa, one of the four paramouncies making up the two districts, Nana Owusu Sakyi II, says the area’s poor road network is driving farmers out of their job.“The nature of our roads here makes our farmers poor. Many of them are suffering and dying at a young age because they are unable to get value for the hard work they do. They can’t sell at competitive prices because nobody is coming to buy,” he says.According to him the situation is scaring young people from going into farming- the area’s major economic stay.Until its division in 2012, the two Sene Districts made up the largest district in the Bono Ahafo region covering about 8,586.44 km2.
It is bound to the west by Atebubu-Amantin District, to the east by the Volta Lake and Afram Plains, to the north by east Gonja.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
Private Security Organisations are not permitted to use firearms – Interior Minister
6 minutes -
DACF: AG justifies payment of public funds into personal accounts of MPs
7 minutes -
Foreign Affairs Ministry pays tribute to late Ambassador Victor Gbeho
10 minutes -
Spain underlines strong commercial partnership with Ghana
18 minutes -
Everyone saw it, nobody stopped it
19 minutes -
Don’t misuse PWDs’ funds—Parliament’s Committee on Local Govt to MMDCEs
23 minutes -
Family of Ambassador Victor Gbeho officially informs Mahama of his death
27 minutes -
Cape Coast MCE orders renewed demolition of buildings on waterways after deadly floods
36 minutes -
GNAFF calls for audit of One District, One Dam project amid renewed rainfall
37 minutes -
Bond market: Turnover declines by 24% to GH¢5.41bn
40 minutes -
Gov’t allocates land for refugee farming under new integration initiative
40 minutes -
Taxpayers must register before fulfilling their tax obligations – GRA
44 minutes -
APSU 2002 Legacy Project: Prof Kofi Abotsi urges alumni to give back as a sacred duty
53 minutes -
GRA urges fair treatment for taxpayers, highlights right to assistance and appeal
58 minutes -
Ahiagbah urges government to complete Afari Military Hospital, says project 98% done
1 hour