Extension officers in the Tempane District of the Upper East Region will now have a sigh of relief following the supply of motorbikes to enhance their activities.
The twelve extension officers in the district depend on only two motorbikes to render services to thousands of farmers in the area and are unable to timely address concerns of farmers thus negatively affecting farmers productivity.
Most extension officers in rural areas are logistically constrained.
Government is working to improve the extension officers to farmers ratio from 1:3000 to the ideal ratio of 1:1500.
But in a bid to improve extension services, extension officers in Tempane have been provided with nine motorbikes to enhance their work, under the Modernizing Agric in Ghana Project with support from the Canadian government.
Tempane District Director of MOFA, Ibrahim Jamaldeen said, the intervention will improve Agric productivity in the area.
He indicated that the motorbikes would be used to monitor government intervention in agriculture such as the planting for food and jobs, fall armyworm issues, facilitation of the distribution of subsidized fertilizers, field demonstrations among other extension services.
“This motorbike is going to improve agricultural extension delivery service in the Tempane District. The planting for Food and Jobs program will be enhanced and extension Officers will be going around to meet farmers where ever they are.”
“The Modernizing Agriculture in Ghana program will also be enhanced and extension service delivery service in the District will improve. Ultimately, it will increase agricultural production and food security will also be enhanced”.
Tempane District Chief Executive Paul Abugri Azumah cautioned the officers to use the machines for their intended purpose to boost agriculture in the area.
“This Government has done well because for a very long time the agricultural sector has not seen itself resourced this much, so we are praying that they will do their best to maintain and use the motorbikes very well.”
“I have seen that once a motorbike is given to you with a helmet so if you do not ride a motorbike without it we have every right to sanction you because your life is more important than anything else. I will encourage you to use the motorbike for the purpose for which it was given to you”.