Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday entered into an agreement with Kirloskar Brothers Limited, a multi-purpose engineering company to rehabilitate all existing irrigation facilities and consider building new ones to support farming in Ghana. "We have a lot of irrigation facilities that have been abandoned for some years now and I will want you to bring them back to shape and also build new facilities to enhance rice production and other staples that will subsequently reduce the importation of foodstuff into the country all year round." Vice President Mahama said these when he held talks with the company which expressed interest in carrying out irrigation projects in Ghana in the next few months to extend their technology to Ghanaians. He said the government had already drawn up a comprehensive plan to divert water from Akosombo and Kpong dams to irrigate the Accra plains which had the potential of producing adequate rice to feed the Ghanaian population and also serve other neighbouring countries and appealed to the company to consider tackling that project in the coming years. "We are also considering the option of irrigating lands at the Fumbisi Valley areas in the North to increase rice production in those areas as part of our plans to reduce rice importation drastically in the coming years." He said all these programmes were geared towards making Ghana an influential exporter of food stuff, especially rice in the sub-saharan region and appealed to the farmers to adhere to all the plans being made for the enhancement of their activities. Mr. Sanjay Kirloskar, Chairman and Managing Director of the company, gave the assurance that his outfit would perform even beyond the expectation of the government and people of Ghana when they start work in the country. He said his company had made Mauritius and Senegal food sufficient and influential rice exporters, and would exhibit the same level of professionalism to make Ghana a major exporter of food in the coming years. He said the company which had over 70 years of experience in terms of technology and food production, would commit everything possible to enable Ghana to achieve her food needs through irrigation and improved, but simple technology. From: George-Ramsey Benamba, GNA Special Correspondent in New Delhi, India