Initiated by the Member of Parliament for the area, Mr. A.C Ntim, the project has been fashioned out as in intervention for job creation, economic growth and poverty alleviation. It will also serve as an environmentally-friendly approach to rural development.

Launching it on Tuesday, Mr. Ntim described the 10-year project as “a tailor-made intervention that seeks to offer sustainable support to farmers and also attract the youth to go into commercial cultivation of cashew and its value chain development”.

It is known as “the MPs initiative for sustainable organic cashew development in the Offinso North district”.

Under a five-year plan, the project is raising 1.5 million improved seeds for free supply to support over 20, 000 famers to cultivate 200,000 hectares of cashew plantations, he announced.

According the MP, the project in its first year, is providing technical support and improved varieties of cashew seeds to about 10,000 farmers in its operational zones at Akomadan, Afrancho, Nkenkaasu, Darso-Nkwaakwaa and Nsenoa

The MP explained that the project to be managed by a governing body known as Offinsoman Cashew Development Board “is expected to put out all the necessary structures that will lead to the establishment of a Cashew processing factory”.

He urged the chiefs and people of the district to embrace and participate actively in the initiative stressing that “this is not an NPP or NDC affair.”

“It is a project meant for the common good of Offinsoman and it is important that we insulate it from partisan politics by channeling all our strengths and resources into its successful implementation”, the MP added.

An official of the District Assembly hinted that the project would be “adopted” by the Assembly because it fits into the government’s agricultural development plan.

From Godwin Ofosu-Acheampong, Akomadan