President John Mahamah has urged Ghanaians to support the government’s initiative of transforming the economy into export–led one.
He said the effort will reduce Ghana’s import dependency and retain the amount of foreign exchange spent each year on imports.
The continuous expenditure of some 1.5 billion dollars annually on importation of commodities such as rice, tomatoes, and poultry among others could lead to stagnant economic growth.
Addressing party supporters in some tomato producing communities in Ashanti region, President Mahama reiterated government’s commitment to ensure all year round tomatoes production in the country.
The event was day-two of his four-day campaign tour in Ashanti region ahead of the 2016 general elections.
He called on the Zongo chiefs in Kumasi and visited places such as Akomadan, Afrancho, in the Offinso North District, Abofour and Offinso in the Offinso South Constituency.
In all these areas president Mahama received rousing welcome from the party supporters as the security personnel had a hectic time controlling the crowd.
Various opinion leaders and chiefs in these tomato production communities appealed to the government to put up tomatoes factory for them.
According to them, this is the only way to get enough cash from their investment.
The chief of Akomadan, Nana Akuamoah Boateng, appealed to the government to save the tomato farmers in the area.
President Mahamah also touched on numerous projects executed in the area including roads and an irrigation project covering 60 hectares to help boost tomato production.
He said there are plans to extend the project to cover an additional 120 hectares to increase production and ensure all year round production.
The move, according to the president, is part of other interventions to address the problem associated with the area’s unreliable rainfall and the resultant low productivity.
The Irrigation Development Authority has already procured pumping machines, hoses and pipes to take water from the Akomadan dam to irrigate about 60 hectares of land for tomato growing.
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