The Agric Department of the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District Assembly has taken custody of over thirty-four thousand oil palm seedlings from the District Chief Exexutive for distribution to farmers throughout the District .
Under the government flagship Planting for Export and Rural Development (PERD) program aimed at boosting the Local Economic development of districts across the country, seven selected cash crops including Oil Palm have been earmarked to financially empower farmers. It is under this program that the DCE of AEEDA, Hon. Rev. Ransford Nyarko on behalf of the President of Ghana, H.E. Nana Akufo Addo and the Vice-president H.E. Mahmud Bawumia presented the Oil Palm seedlings to farmers in the District.
In his short address to the farmers, the DCE proudly informed them of the success of cash crops including cocoa and coconut which were cultivated and distributed earlier in the District in the past years. He said many of these cash crop trees delivered earlier under the same PERD program has started fruiting and many farmers who took the program seriously are beginning to see the fruits of their labour. He therefore admonished the farmers who are beneficiaries of the current consignment of oil palm seedlings to take the program seriously and ensured them of success too, which will improve their lives and that of their households for the overall benefit of the District.
He further revealed that in all, a total of one hundred thousand oil palms seedlings are expected to be distributed in the District. He thus, encouraged all the farmers to work assiduously to nurture and protect them in order to the see the desired benefits it offers them as individuals and collectively as a nation; making special reference to countries like Malaysia where the palm tree has become the mainstay of their economic growth and development.
Hon. Rev. Nyarko assured the farmers that the President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Akufo Addo and his outfit were still committed to improving the lives of farmers as well as protecting the environment with such projects.