It is a new dawn for the Pru East Constituency following the election of Emmanuel Kwaku Boam as the constituency’s new Member of Parliament. Even before his swearing-in and commencement of his official duties, the new Member of Parliament-elect has already hit the ground running with a mission to turn around the economic fortunes of businesses and people in the constituency through agriculture. This marks the beginning of the Pru East to the World vision.
Emmanuel Boam has a vision dubbed “Pru East to the World” and the aim is to unleash the economic potential of the area to the outside world and most especially, investors.
Pru East to the World encompasses numerous economic opportunities in the constituency with the main activity being agriculture. The MP-elect says it is a project to attract investors, both local and abroad to the area to invest and harness the agricultural potential of the area.
Why Pru East?
The Pru East Constituency is located in the Bono East Region of Ghana. It falls within the Pru District with Yeji as the district capital. Naturally, the area is blessed with invaluable agricultural resources. The constituency has large hectares of arable lands that can support the large-scale production of many crops.
Already, the residents are predominantly farmers who produce crops such as cassava, corn, legumes, grains, and vegetables among others. The area is mainly known as one of the food baskets for the country. The land area, according to a study commissioned by the incoming MP is naturally fertile and can support large-scale commercial farming.
In an interview with The High Street Journal, the MP-elect emphasized that agriculture is the competitive advantage of the constituency and he is poised to harness this potential to better the lives of his constituents.
“We have very arable, large hectares of land, which we can use for farming. The food basket of this country mostly spans from cassava, yam, corn, vegetables, legumes, grains, and all these things can be found in Pru-East. That is why it makes it a more preferred destination to harness the potential that is in there,” he noted.
The Irrigation Potential
Complementing the large hectares of arable land is a huge potential for irrigation to support all-year-round farming. The constituency is along the stretch of the famous Volta Lake in Ghana hence providing a valuable opportunity for irrigation services. With the Volta Lake providing an avenue for irrigation services, farming activities can be undertaken all year round eliminating the dependence on the unreliable rainfall pattern caused by climate change.
This opportunity will help to mitigate the high risks associated with farming in the country emanating from the unfavorable weather causing farmers to lose their yields. The mitigated risks therefore enhance the yield and success of farmers and also for investors to recoup their investment.
Emmanuel Boam confirms that “we happen to benefit from the Volta Lake. So what benefit it is to us is that we can also engage in very good irrigation farming.”
Land Acquisition Matters
One challenge that makes farming difficult is land acquisition due to the system of land ownership in Ghana. Acquiring land for agricultural purposes comes along with many difficulties hence discouraging interested persons. But the MP-elect is assuring all potential investors that challenging land issues will not arise in Pru East.
He tells The High Street Journal that, already all major stakeholders of the land in the constituency have been engaged and brought on board for the project. The chiefs, and opinion leaders among others have given their consent to this agenda and are willing to offer lands without any obstacles.
“Everyone is on board. The Chiefs, the people, and the entire constituency are all on board. When you come as an investor, you let us know. Do you want to rent? Do you want to pay royalties? What do you want to do? Do you want us to co-own the project with you? Or you just need the land, we get you the human resource then you do your thing. The bottom line is that our people will get employment. Our people will get something to do,” he emphasized.
Other Agribusiness Opportunities
Emmanuel Boam’s vision is not just getting everyone involved in farming. He says there are a number of other agribusiness opportunities that investors who may not want to go into direct farming can engage in. He says there are a number of support services investors can provide to complement the large-scale commercial farming he envisages for the constituency.
There are opportunities for the provision of storage facilities such as warehouses, barns, and cooling services since fishing is part of the entire plan. Investors interested in the production of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, tools, seeds, pesticides, weedicides, and herbicides also have a place at Pru East. Moreover, there is an opportunity for mechanized agricultural services such as tractors, combined harvesters, ploughing among others.
In essence, the MP-elect’s vision is to make Pru East a fully-fledged agricultural enclave or hub for the country and hence all forms of agricultural businesses are welcomed including exporters and processors.
“It could even be storehouses or storerooms for the district. And if you want us to liaise with you to do that, no problem because we need to have storage banks to store these things that will come,” adding that “for those of us who are in the diaspora, who want to farm and export, we will also need to get you all the necessary documentation and permits,” he noted.
Sustainability
One of the fears of many investors is the sustainability of such kind of a huge project beyond the term of office of the MP who is currently spearheading the vision. Emmanuel Boam says the project is a legacy that he wants to leave even after his term of office as an MP. The project is not a politically motivated one where decisions are made purely on political lines. Rather he insists this is purely business and impact-driven business and hence no room for unfriendly-businesses practices.
He insists that there are going to be formalized structures in place which will include the investors, the chiefs, the youth, and other stakeholders to ensure continuity and sustainability.
“It is all about leadership. This project is not going to be owned by Honourable Boam. It is going to be owned by the community which means there are going to be structures in place. Not me. The community, the youth leadership, and the youth chiefs are going to be co-owners of the project because they are going to bring their people to come and work. So for every chief we come to acquire land from that land will be tilled and managed by your people,” he indicated.
The Member of Parliament’s Support
The incoming MP who is playing a key role in this vision says his office is ready to provide support to all investors interested in investing in Pru East. Among a number of support services, Emmanuel Boam says he will act as a liaison between investors, constituency, and the government. He adds he will facilitate all the needed documentation required by investors interested in doing business in Pru East including other governmental support these investors will require.
The Expected Outcome/Impact
Emmanual Boam says the constituents are his ultimate target for this project. It is his vision that this project positively impacts the socio-economic lives of his constituents. Apart from empowering them through jobs, he aims to reduce the dependency burden in the constituency by providing an avenue where everyone achieves his/her potential.
He indicated that, “the bottom line is that our people will get employment. Our people will get something to do. At the end of the day, whatever project we are engaging in, we are looking at the unforeseeable future.
“When we have the opportunity for them to farm and fend for themselves, that over-dependency of our ladies on men to get their survival or their livelihood is lessened. We want to have an impact on the community. And that is why I am asking the business community, the investor groups, to come. Let’s sit down. Let me know your fears. We will allay your fears,” he emphasized.
The MP is convinced beyond doubt that the project is a win-win situation for all parties involved and hence investors are cordially invited to explore and invest in these numerous opportunities in the constituency.
