Mr. Abu Kasanbata, Nadowli District Chief Executive (DCE), has advised farmers not to concentrate on the planting of shea and dawadawa trees but to also undertake mango and cashew projects to better their lots.
He said even though shea and dawadawa trees have economic potentials, their maturity periods were longer than that of mango and cashew, which is patronised at the local and international markets.
Mr. Kasanbata was addressing members of the Nangbanzene Mango Plantation Association, at the launch of Government's Mango Plantation Project, at Piree in the District, on Friday.
The 200-acre mango plantation is funded by the Export Development and Investment Fund (EDIF) to the benefit of farmers at Pirre, Issa and Tabiasi all in the District.
The EDIF has provided a tractor and equipment, organic manure, chemicals and two mechanised boreholes for the execution of the project.
Mr. Kasanbata noted that despite the fact that farmers in the area cultivated traditional crops such as millet, groundnuts and maize, that
could not help them to fight hungry and poverty.
He appealed to others farmers to establish such a project to create jobs for the youth to prevent rural-urban migration for non-existing jobs.
Mr. Kasanbata said the initiative of the Association was in line with government's policy to modernise agriculture and ensure food security.
He said government was establishing Agricultural Mechanisation Centres throughout the country to provide tractor services to farmers at affordable cost to boost food production.
Mr. Kasanbata advised the farmers to prevent bushfires and commended traditional rulers and land owners in the district for releasing land for the project.
Mr. James Konogini, Nadowli District Director of Ministry of Food and Agriculture, advised farmers to plant tree crops such as mango and cashew to increase their income.