Government’s quest to enhance Ghana’s food security through the block farming and youth in agriculture programmes is making some inroads in the Northern Region as farmers can boast of bumper harvest this year. Citi News has over the weeks visited some farmlands in Nasia, Gushegu, Savelugu, Damongo and Bimbila just to mention a few and can confirm that some significant gains have been made particularly in the area of rice cultivation in Northern Region. Speaking to Citi News at each instance, some farmers particularly youth groups that were supported with farm machinery and other inputs to go into large scale farming commended government for creating jobs for them in the agric sector. However, beneficiaries of the block farming project told Citi News they are encountering some major challenges. At a stakeholder meeting with the authorities of the Northern Regional directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Mr Prince Mahamadu Mahama, Acting Regional Chairman of the Rice Growers Association said government’s decision to buy a bag of paddy rice from the farmers at GHc 27 cedis could affect production in the years ahead. He added that there hasn’t been any organized body to buy their produce adding that this development could affect the potential of expanding the block farming project to enhance Ghana’s food security. Mr Prince Mahama, therefore, appealed to government and for that matter the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to create marketing opportunities for members of the Rice Growers Association. Alhaji Gilbert Seidu Iddi, a senior Lecturer at the faculty of Agriculture of the University for Development Studies. Nyankpala campus, assured the farmers of government’s preparedness to address their concerns. He also stated that plans were afoot by government to import enough farming machinery from Thailand to expand the numerous programmes established to modernize the nation’s agric industry. Source: Citifmonline.com