Farmers in the East Coast village of Nabaclis will now be able to increase their agricultural output with the acquisition by their Water Users Association of a tractor-driven pump.
According to a Ministry of Agriculture release, a tractor-driven pump was handed over by Minister Zulfikar Mustapha yesterday to the Nabaclis Water Users Association (WUA) to assist with boosting agriculture production in the village. The pump was procured at a cost of $1,100,000.
The release stated that the pump was the fulfilment of a commitment made by Mustapha during a visit to the village last November to assist the farmers in resuscitating agriculture in the villages of Nabaclis, Victoria, and Golden Grove. Farmers who attended the initial meeting had told the minister that the area was once known for its agriculture production and sought his assistance with returning to the land. In response he assured the farmers that he would make the necessary resources available to assist them with stimulating farming in the villages.
At the handing over exercise, Mustapha told residents that his ministry is mindful of the requests they make and it has been working to fulfill them. “As a government, we have a responsibility to work with all citizens, and I want to assure you that communities like yours will not be left out of development.”
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Nabaclis WUA, Kenrick Wickham, expressed his desire to see the villages of Victoria, Nabaclis, and Golden Grove back on their feet. He thanked the minister for his support and reminisced that when he was a child, his grandparents were able to feed him and his parents through farming.
Those farmers present also appealed to the minister for improved infrastructure.
Tavel Accra, a pig farmer, sought the assistance of the Minister with the rehabilitation of the middle walk and a bridge that connects the residential area to the backlands. Godfrey Henry, another resident farmer said that he was happy that the minister kept his promise of assisting farmers in the area. He appealed to the minister to have the Nabaclis pump restored.
Residents also asked the Minister to engage the Minister of Public Works and have him conduct a site visit to assess the state of the roads in the area.
After listening to the farmers’ requests, Mustapha invited them to visit his office to discuss all the agriculture needs in the community so that a work programme can be developed.
