Help prevent post-harvest losses — Ophelia Koomson

Ms Ophelia Koomson, the Birim Central Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), has  stressed  the need to engage all stakeholders in the food chain to reduce post-harvest losses in the country.

She noted that reducing post harvest losses would enable the government to meet its food security  targets by 2015 and also meet the Millenium Development Goals.

Ms Koomson, who was speaking at the municipality’s 29th Farmers Day celebration at Akyem Asene, mentioned some post-harvest activities to include handling of produce, storage, processing, packaging, transporting and marketing.

“We can have a huge loss when perishable food items like vegetables and grains are not properly handled.”

She urged farmers to package food crops in well-ventilated containers 

The MCE also advised market women not to expose food items to extreme temperatures from the direct sunlight and also avoid poorly ventilated storage facilities.

She said 2.5 acres of commercial cassava farms had been established at Akyem Akroso and Takrowase, and 200 bundles of improved cassava plantings had been distributed to farmers in the municipality.”

Ms Koomson said under the Inland Valley Rice Development Project, 18 acres of land was currently under cultivation at Oda Nkwanta and Nyame Nti, “and we hope to harvest about 39.6 tons of rice this year.”

She congratulated all the award winners, and encouraged them to improve upon their farming ventures and make the municipality and the country proud.

In all, 15 farmers were awarded, with Mr Alfred Adu-Bobi being adjudged the overall best farmer in the municipality.

He received a 21-inches colour television, six cutlasses, a bicycle, knapster sprayer, pair of wellington boots and a certificate as his prize.

Ms Charlotte Baidu was adjudged the best woman farmer and was presented with a gas burner, cutlasses, knapster sprayer, wax prints and pairs of wellington boots.

Meanwhile, Mr Joseph Kweku Owusu, Chairman of the Akyem Oda-Accra-Tema Number Three Branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), had donated two sewing machines towards the Farmers Day celebration, with one of the items being presented to the best woman farmer. — GNA