The Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) meant to transform the northern sector of the country, is to receive a major boost by the end of the year through a multi-million dollar mechanised agricultural project. The project, which will see a massive rehabilitation of existing irrigation sites and the construction of new ones, as well as the provision of modern equipment including tractors, will be undertaken by Tong Yang Moolsan Company Limited (TYM) of Korea, designers and manufacturers of agricultural equipment worldwide. The first beneficiaries of the project will be small to medium-scale farmers in the three northern regions and other areas covered under the SADP, a move meant to utilise the vast agricultural lands in the country. The Executive Managing Director, who oversees the business division of TYM, Mr. Cheun Byung Kim, told the Daily Graphic in Seoul, shortly after a facility tour of the manufacturing plant of TYM by a high powered Ghanaian investment delegation under the auspices of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC). The delegation, led by Mr. George Aboagye, Chief Executive Officer of the GIPC, also had some members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Trade and Investment, including Mr. Seth Adjei Baah, Member of Parliament (MP) for Nkawkaw and President of the Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GNCCI), Mrs. Patience Akolor, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Free zones Board and Mr. Edward Ashong-Lartey, Director of Communications, Marketing and Public Affairs of GIPC among others. According to Mr. Kim, “After a number of visits to your country to assess the situation there and having studied the SADP documents and intentions, my company has concluded that the project is viable and worth investing in and we will do all we can to start once all the necessary signings have been completed.” He said the vast arable land in all parts of the country needed to be made more productive through mechanised farming that would bring substantial benefits to the people, particularly the small to medium-scale farmers who had engaged in subsistence farming over the years. “Ghana deserves the support of the company and the Korean people because of the dedication and enthusiasm of the government and the people to suceed, and to make the country self sufficient in food production,” Mr. Kin added. The SADP, which is being managed by the Savana Accelerated Development Authority (SADP), was set up by the government to among other things, see to the speedy transformation of the three northern regions, Brong Ahafo, Western and Volta regions of the country. “It is a laudable idea of the government and needs the support of all including foreign partners,” he said. Mr. Kim said TYM, as per the arrangements, was expected to partner a local company in Ghana to form a joint partnership, a move which was briskly underway and noted that agreements would be signed when the Korean President visits Ghana later in the year. During the visit to the TYM plant, Mr. Baah told the management of the company that the opportunities available in Ghana were enormous. He said through Ghana, the rest of the sub regions could be reached and urged the company not to relent making Ghana its entry point to Africa. Mr. Ashong-Lartey, for his part, said the quality of the tractors were the right choices for the Ghanaian terrain and noted that the country’s investments codes were favourable enough to make TYM make returns on its investments. Source: Daily Graphic