The District registered a total of 4,321 farmers comprising 3,319 males and 1,002 females under the programme and 1,527 of them have taken delivery of their share of the fertilizer and seeds.

Mr Peter Ayamga Ayinbisa, the Bongo District Chief Executive (DCE), said this at the District’s Town Hall meeting aimed at creating a platform for continuous interaction between the government and communities in the District.

He said the registration was done without political considerations “we want to ensure that only persons who are genuine farmers really benefit from this laudable intervention.”         

Giving the breakdown of the fertilizers, the DCE said “we received 8,810 bags of NPK fertilizer, 4,130 bags of Sulphate of Ammonia, Urea 1,385 and Yara Legume 31bags.”

He said the package also included assorted high-yielding seeds, and further gave the breakdown as follows; 200 bags of maize, 21 bags of soya beans, 205 bags of rice seed, 150 and 140 sachets of pepper and tomatoes respectively.

Mr Ayinbisa said smugglers and other saboteurs of state have begun diverting some fertilizer consignments meant for the implementation of the programme.

The DCE said the Fall Armyworms has not spared the District but are currently under control  as 568 hectares of affected farms were sprayed with chemicals to kill the worms and called for support and technical expertise to completely solve the canker.

Mr Ayinbisa said the District would apply some funds under the government’s “one million US Dollars per constituency” pledge, when it is made available, into the construction of new dams and  undertake the dredging and rehabilitation of existing ones at Bongo, Adaboya, Kabre, Aboligo,Dua, Apatanga, Bungo and Apuwongo.

“Let me add that the construction of some of these dams will come directly under the ‘One Village, One Dam’ initiative of government.”

Mr Rockson Ayine Bukari, the Upper East Regional Minister, said the meeting afforded government the opportunity to share with the citizenry the efforts it was making to deal with their needs and concerns.

The Minister said it was also an occasion to explain government policies and get feedback from citizens on their assessment of its performance.

The meeting was chaired by Naba Salifu Alemyaarum, chief of the Bongo Traditional Area, and it brought together Heads of Departments, the clergy, chiefs, political party representatives, assembly members and some members of the public.