Two mechanised boreholes, constructed at the cost sum of GH¢201, 599.00, has been inaugurated and handed over to two beneficiary communities in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region.
The projects, executed under phase I of the Gulf of Guinea Social Cohesion (SOCO) project would aid irrigation farming, especially during the dry season.
The beneficiary communities included Damwoe and Amogrebisi; both in the Bolgatanga Municipality.
Speaking at the handover ceremony in Bolgatanga, the Chief Executive for the Bolgatanga Municipal, Mr Roland Atanga Ayoo, said the project would serve as a relief to farmers who largely depended on rain-fed agriculture for crop cultivation.
The two mechanised borehole projects, executed at a total sum amount of GH¢201, 599.50 (GH¢100, 799.75, each), Mr Ayoo said, would boost agricultural production amongst the rural farmers, and urged the youth to take advantage of the initiative to better their lots.
He indicated that the gesture marked a significant milestone in successive governments’ desire to prioritise agriculture, with a focus on modernising it and supporting rural and smallholder farmers to improve their crop yields to feed the local economy.
Mr Ayoo also noted that the government was working around the clock to revive the spirit of the people in venturing into agriculture.
“I am told that each of the projects is supposed to pump water to serve about 52-hectares. In fact, I am tempted to share the farmers’ agitations to the effect that the project cannot even serve two acres of land, let alone 52 hectares in the beneficiary communities,” Mr Ayoo fumed.
The MCE cautioned the technical team to steer clear of supervising similar crappy contracts in future, explaining that the borehole projects were meant to give farmers a boon, and ensuring their main hurdle of accessing water for dry season farming which would be ridden out.
At Damwoe, the MCE encouraged the youth not to be despaired in venturing into agriculture, in spite of the frustrations, re-affirming it was not going to be permanent.
The Assemblyman for the Amogrebisi, an Electoral Area under Sumbrungu in the Bolgatanga Municipality, Mr Samuel Azure, told the MCE that the community was disappointed with the contractor over the unsatisfactory work, and appealed to him to come out with pragmatic solutions to surmount the plight of farmers who were so obsessed with irrigation since the sole mechanised borehole could not even support three farmers.
The Director for the Department of Agriculture at the Bolgatanga Municipal, Ms Lantana Osman, added that her outfit had learnt its lessons, and would be very cautious to monitor carefully the execution of any agriculture-related projects in the municipality in future.
She pleaded with the farmers to let sleeping dogs lie, saying that, “for we know your plight; we identify with your plight, and we are fighting the same cause. Better mechanised borehole projects will come your way as indicated by the MCE”.
FROM FRANCIS DABRE DABANG, BOLGATANGA
