KOICA gives 7 motorbikes for farming supervision in UER

The Korea International Cooperation Agency(KOICA) has donated seven brand new motorbikes valued at GH¢37,590.00 to the staff of the Department of Cooperative in the Upper East Region to help supervise farming activities to promote food production.

The donation of the motorbikes which is under the Capacity Development of Farmer Based Cooperatives and Farmer Based Organisations (FBCs/ FBOs) in Northern Ghana Project, funded by the government of the Republic of Korea through Korea International Cooperation Agency(KOICA) has an overarching goal of improving the standard of living of rural farmers in the five northern regions of Ghana.

The project, implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations (MELR) and Department of Cooperatives (DOC) began in 2017 with a grant aid of 6,180,000 US dollars to be disbursed over a 42-month period.

Speaking at the donation ceremony in Bolgatanga on Friday, the Regional Director of the Department of Cooperative, Mr Roland Anyana, stated that apart from the donation of the motorbikes, the project had also equipped the Department with equipment including laptops, photocopier, printer, desktops and renovated the regional office and provided the office with furniture.

He stated that plans were also far advanced by KOICA to provide additional motorbikes for the remaining districts which did not benefit from the first consignment, and also provide a means of transport for the regional office.

He said through capacity building of the FBOs and the FBCs, a lot of them have increased food production in their respective households leading to enhancing food security.

“Many of the FBOs and the FBCs in this region who submitted proposals after being trained by the project have also won grants from the project to enable them undertake farming and other economic ventures relating to farming activities,” Mr Roland Anyana stressed.

The Upper East Regional Coordinating Director, Alhaji Mohamadu Azonko, who stood in for the Regional Minister, Ms Paulina Patience Abayage, lauded the efforts of KOICA for complementing government’s efforts to ensure food security.

He said the government recognises the roles FBCs and FBOs play at ensuring national food security and added that the success of the government’s flagship programmes in the agricultural sector depends to a large extent on the output of these groups.

He, however, entreated the district directors who benefitted from the motorcycles to use them for the intended purposes and not for their personal and family use.

Among the districts that benefitted from the motorcycles included Bolgatanga, Bongo, Kassena-Nankana municipality, Bawku West, Garu District, Talensi and Builsa North districts.

FROM SAMUEL AKAPULE, BOLGATANGA