Communities in Pwalugu in the Talensi Nabdam District have appealed to the Government to reintroduce the policy that allowed purchasing clerks from the Cocoa Marketing Board to purchase sheanuts from communities. The Communities made this appeal through the Local Civic Coalition (LCC) group at Pwalugu in the Talensi-Nabdam District in the Upper East Region at a meeting during the weekend. The LCC group was formed by the Foundation for Grassroots Initiative in Africa (GrassRootsAfrica). GrassRootsAfrica is a local NGO working in the area of poverty reduction, strengthening political, economic, and social rights of the poor and marginalized. They explained that the lack of market for sheanuts was affecting the pickers in the area, and that they had to sell at cheaper prices in the open market. They added that majority of the people in the area especially women, engaged in sheanut picking, which could have been one of the major businesses but for the poor market. The LCC Group on behalf of the community thanked the government for providing them with the support to go into soya bean farming during last season. They said they were prepared to undertake large scale farming this rainy season, but had no tractor service to prepare their farmlands and appealed to the District Assembly to support them. They indicated that they appreciated the District Directorate of Agriculture for giving them technical advice during the last tomato season. They said they benefited from the advice of the technical persons. They appealed to Government to support them with micro finance to undertake economic activities. Source: GNA