The Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, on Monday handed over 100 water pumping machines to Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) and selected cooperative farmer groups as part of efforts to expand irrigation farming under the government’s Feed Ghana Project and the Volta Lake Economic Corridor Project.
Speaking at a ceremony in Sogakope, Mr. Gunu said the intervention represents “a significant step toward expanding irrigation farming in our region” and outlined measures to ensure the proper operation, maintenance and management of the equipment to keep them reliable for farmers.
The pumps, he explained, will be distributed as follows, five each to districts along the Volta Lake, including South, Central and North Tongu; Kpando, North Dayi, South Dayi, and Afadjato South; four each to the other 11 districts; six to the Regional Agriculture Directorate; and 15 to youth groups, including a group cultivating about 1,500 acres of government land near the Ho Airport.
Mr. Gunu reaffirmed government’s commitment to improving road infrastructure in the region to “guarantee smooth transportation of food produce to markets, thereby boosting trade and livelihoods.”
He also pointed to complementary initiatives such as the National Apprenticeship Programme and the National Youth Employment Initiative, which he said are designed to empower young people and strengthen local economies.
The Minister commended farmers and partners “for their tireless contributions to food security and for driving the transformation of agriculture in the Volta Region.”
The Volta region is seeing some changes in development and infrastructure, including the ongoing works on the HO-Denu road, and also the construction of the Blekusu Sea Defence Project , areas which are important trade routes for traders and businesses.
