THE Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Ghana programme has so far disbursed $2.7 million to support 80 farmer-based organisations (FBOs) and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in five districts of the Northern Region to boost agriculture.
The beneficiary FBOs and SMEs are in the Tamale metropolis, the Savelugu-Nanton, Karaga, West Mamprusi and Tolon-Kumbungu districts.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Millennium Development Authority (MiDA), Mr Martin Esson-Benjamin, made this known during an interaction with media practitioners in Tamale aimed at highlighting the challenges and achievements of the Northern Intervention Zone MCA programme.
Mr Esson-Benjamin observed that low levels of technology and technical assistance, inadequate farmer training skills development, low investments in production and processing, under-developed marketing systems and unco-ordinated development supportive programmes accounted for more than the 90 per cent poverty levels recorded in some rural agricultural districts in the north.
He explained that the strategic goal of the MCA Ghana programme was to create an enabling environment for sustainable business in agriculture.
The CEO stated that 23 out of the 30 beneficiary districts nation-wide were selected based on their agricultural growth potential, scope for rural poverty reduction and private sector participation in the growth process.
“The MCA programme is meant to assist small rural farmers to participate in local and international markets through investments that, among other things, will enable communities to become better organised through the training and commercial development of FBOs,” he noted.
According to Mr Esson-Benjamin, 15,488 farmers had been trained under the MCA programme, while $3.6 million worth of starter packs had been donated to members of the Kpangmanga Youth Association, an FBO based at Kanvilli, a suburb of Tamale.
He further disclosed that 1,161 irrigation schemes had been rehabilitated at Ligba, Bontanga, Golinga, Nasia, Wala, Janga, Arigu, Karaminga and Gunayili.
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