He said the fertilizer has an electric coding and traceable mark and discouraged farmers from smuggling it to avoid being caught and dealt with.

Mr Afare who said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said the new highly efficient and traceable fertilizer subsidy management system was to ensure that farmers who registered biometrically benefitted from the fertilizer subsidy of government.

The Director, who is also in charge of the Agric Department in Ho said government had introduced a specialised rice project for farmers in a bid to increase rice production for export.

He said under the programme, government was subsidising the price of the seed of rice and fertilizer by 50 per cent and said about 1,000 farmers in the Adaklu District had been registered to benefit from the programme.

Mr Afare said his outfit in collaboration with the District Assembly had nursed 55,000 out of its envisaged 100,000 cashew seedlings for distribution to farmers under its Planting for Food and Jobs and rural development programme.

He said the Agric Department had introduced improved technologies for increased livestock production in 12 operational areas in the District and also provided general extension services to about 1,550 farmers.

Mr. Afare said the District Assembly in collaboration with other stakeholders had zoned lands in the District for effective food production and animal rearing and called for support from all, especially the chiefs.

He said inadequate extension officers and logistics were a setback to efforts at assisting farmers to cultivate vast arable land lying fallow in the District to make Adaklu the food basket of the Volta Region.