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The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, last toured two irrigation construction sites under construction in the Kwahu Afram Plains in the Eastern Region.
The projects are the Ekyeamamfrom Economic Enclave Irrigation at Ekyeamamfrom and the Konadu Irrigation at Abetifi, which are 85 per cent and 96 per cent complete, respectively.
They are being executed by Grumah Twins and RaanLuuk Ltd, respectively.
The projects, being constructed by the government through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, under the auspices of the Feed Ghana Programme, are expected to be completed and handed over by September and November this year.
When fully operational, the project will irrigate the farms all year-round to ensure food security in the country and thus, potentially reduce the food import bill, which currently stands at $3 billion.
Briefing the Minister, the Contractor, Alhassan Sanna, said one major challenge to the completion of the project had to do with funding.
He mentioned that certificates for payment had been raised but the government had been able to pay only 40 per cent of the total amount requested.
“Again, the issue of the activities of the Fulani herdsmen is a big disturbance to the project,” he said and appealed to the government to evacuate the herdsmen from the enclave.
At the Konadu Irrigation Project, the Contractor Abdul Rakeeb Jawad indicated that though the time for completion is so close, the officers to be trained to use the facility are yet to be recruited.
He said a particular building was blocking seven pivots to irrigate the farms and called for its immediate demolition.
The contractor also raised the issue of the activities of the headsmen as a major challenge to the completion of the project.
Mr Rakeeb further complained of the activities of illegal timber loggers who were destroying the roads that had been constructed in the irrigation site.
Responding to the concerns of the consultants, Mr Opoku called on the municipal chief executive to immediately arrange for the evacuation of the headsmen from the project location to their allocated place.
On the issue of funding, the minister gave an assurance that he would follow up with the Ministry of Finance for prompt payment to ensure the completion of the project for all-year-round farming.
Mr Opoku tasked the DCE to immediately commence the processes for the demolition of the building that is obstructing the pivots from irrigating 360 degrees.
The minister further charged the DCE to coordinate with the police to arrest drivers who use the farm roads to facilitate illegal logging. He also urged the DCE to construct checkpoints at the entrance and exit of the farm roads to monitor vehicles using those routes.
In his general observation, Mr Opoku was impressed with the work so far done, saying, “we all hope that by November the entire facility would be ready for use.”
The minister urged the consultants to work hard towards the completion and operationalisation of the facilities for the benefit of the Ghanaian farmers to safeguard food security in the country.
Mr Opoku commended the Abetifi Traditional Council for the commitment to the project and urged the council to assist with the security issues in the enclave, especially with the activities of the herdsmen, encroachment and timber logging.
Earlier, the minister had paid courtesy calls on the Kwahu Nkwatia, Nana Boamah Ayirepe III and Kwahu Abetifi chiefs, Nana Akyemfour Asiedu Agyemang III, to confer with them and to seek their support for the successful completion of the projects.
The chiefs assured the minister of their readiness to ensure the completion and operationalisation of the projects.
