The Minister of Mines, Lands and Forestry, Hon. Esther Dapaah has commended mining firm, Golden Star Resources, for its establishment of the an oil palm plantation for a collection of smallholder farmers in the Wassa Fiase and Wassa Amenfi areas of the Western Region. The Minister made the commendation at the handing over ceremony of four hectare farms under a Golden Star Oil Palm Plantations Limited (GSOPP) project to 69 farmers at Bogoso on Wednesday. The GSOPP is a business model focussing on the creation of immediate employment and long-term income generation for the youth, and targets to develop a cropping rate of 1,000 hectares per annum and 100,000 planted palms. “When I was here last November the project attracted my attention sufficiently for me to decide to keep in touch with its progress. Today I am quite impressed by the success and progress made within the relatively short period of two years. I am also thrilled at the promise it now holds out for the prosperity of the people in this community and beyond”, she said. The Minister said she was particularly delighted that the issue of access to large tracts of land for the development of sizeable commercial farms, usually a major constraint to commercial agriculture in Ghana, has been overcome in an admirable and creative manner. “I must make a special mention of the increasingly pronounced cooperative spirit which has characterised the response of the chiefs and people of the area to the presence of GSR and its offshoot, the GSOPP. As the Minister who also has responsibility for Lands, I am encouraged by the negotiating processes which are guiding the gradual resolution of the issues relating to the Dumase settlement. I hope and pray that the collaboration between the Chiefs and people and the GSR will grow and find expression in other areas to benefit both sides.” Hon Obeng Dapaah said the GSOPP initiative was a refreshing approach towards the engagement of the youth in the area in agriculture and in a manner which assures them of regular income, and was happy the project already employs about 450 young men and women drawn from the surrounding communities.