The Ministry or Food and Agriculture is to contract the Kristo Asafo Technological Centre to build 20 tractor trailers for the ministry as part of its policy to encourage local manufacturers to participate in the agriculture mechanization programme. The Sector Minister Kwesi Ahwoi announced this when he paid a working visit to the KristoAsafo foundry. The visit was to afford the Minister the opportunity to acquaint himself with operations of the centre and also explore avenues that would be beneficial to the government in its quest to mechanise agriculture tor increased food production. He said local metal fabricators ought to be given the opportunity to showcase their capabilities in order to open the local market for their products. Apart from the trailers he said the ministry would need locally manufactured planters, combine harvesters, harrows sand other accessories to complement the tractors imported for farmers. He said the ministry decided to fall on local metal fabricators after a recent research conducted by it showed that local metal products are more durable than imported ones. "It is for this reason that we decided to give Kristo Asafo Centre the opportunity to produce the first 20 trailers after which it would have the option to produce more," he said. Mr Ahwoi noted that the government's quest to mechanize agriculture could be achieved if producers assist the sector with their products. He said that the ministry would liaise with the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) to have the youth in agriculture trained at the centre. "Those who would be trained in metal fabrication would be provided tools and equipment to set up their own workshops to produce tractor accessories in their communities.” The founder of the centre, Apostle Dr Kwadwo Safo, commended the government for its initiative and urged the ministry to give local entrepreneurs the chance to showcase their products on the local market. "We have all it takes to satisfy the Ghanaian market and beyond," he said, adding that the centre is willing to accept the NYEP trainees if it will be assisted to put up structures to accommodate them. Source: The Ghanaian Times