ABOUT 5,000 farmers in the Sekyere East District in the Ashanti Region are to benefit from the farmer-based organisations (FBOs) under the second phase of the Millennium Development Authority (MIDA) programme.
The programme is designed to reduce poverty through sustained support for the agricultural sector.
The District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Samuel Konadu, announced this during the inauguration of the district advisory committee and a sod-cutting ceremony for the rehabilitation of schools under MIDA at Ahwerewa near Effiduase.
He said as of now 30 FBOs had been formed under the first phase of the programme with a total of 1,500 farmers sensitised and handed over to a consultant for training.
"Another 45 FBOs are currently being sensitised and it is expected that not less than 2,250 farmers will be mobilised under the phase two for training," Mr Konadu stated.
He said rehabilitation of school blocks had begun in five schools as part of the programme.
The beneficiary schools were Anyinofi Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) kindergarten and primary school, Kumawu Presbyterian Primary School (block B), Ananaagya Methodist Primary (Afram Plains), Seniagya Methodist Primary and Ahwerewa District Assembly primary school.
The Chief Executive Officer of MIDA, Mr Martin Eson-Benjamin, explained that the main goal of MIDA programmes was to reduce rural poverty through agricultural transformation.
He said to achieve success in agriculture and to reduce the incidence of poverty in the farming communities, certain infrastructural services and benefits should be brought closer to the people.
"Good roads, good schools, electricity for commercial use, proper sanitation facilities, good drinking water, irrigation and post harvest facilities must come alongside credit offered to farmers," Mr Eson-Benjamin stated.
He stressed that schools being rehabilitated under phase one of the programme would benefit from additional support in phase two, which was due to start in early 2009.
"Programme funds will be used to construct and furnish entirely new schools. Facilities to be provided include classrooms and furniture, teachers’ quarters and auxiliary facilities," Mr Eson- Benjamin said.
A 26-member district Advisory Committee (DAC) including the DCE, presiding member and the Member of Parliament, was inaugurated to give advice and direction on the millennium projects in the district.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
WORKSHOP FOR TRANSPORT OWNERS, DRIVERS NSEMPA PAGE 20)
By Collins Agyekum Gyasi, Obuasi.
THE Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) for the Upper Denkyira Civic Union and Dunkwa on Offin Kumasi Co-operative Transport Society have completed a successful two-week advocacy-training workshop for transport owners and drivers at Dunkwa On Offin.
Over 70 members, drawn from the two groups, were taken through Introduction To Advocacy, The Importance of the Private Sector and Economic Development, The Roles and Obligation of Government as well as Regulations and The Businesses Environment.
Mr John Gershon Koomson, a consultant and facilitator of the sector, noted that BUSAC sought to help people in the private sector to manage their business effectively.
He said the decision by BUSAC to sponsor the workshop was to offer participants the requisite skills needed to effectively run and manage their businesses and to amicably resolve conflicts whenever they occurred.
“If conflicts are not properly handled, they have the tendency of collapsing an organisation, society or group,“ Mr Koomson observed.
The participants were also taken through How To Form and Organise A Strong and Effective Group, Effective Leadership and Functions Of The Various Leaders In A Group.
The Upper Denkyira East Municipal Officer, Mr Philip Lutterodt, charged participants to use the knowledge acquired to judiciously run their associations and businesses to improve their living standards.
He lauded BUSAC for sponsoring what he described as a very important workshop, which would go a long way to boost the nation’s human resource base, and enhance the development of the people.
The participants, at the end of the workshop, pledged to use the knowledge acquired, to contribute their quota to the development of the country.
Certificates of participation were issued at the end of workshop.
THE Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) for the Upper Denkyira Civic Union and Dunkwa on Offin Kumasi Co-operative Transport Society have completed a successful two-week advocacy-training workshop for transport owners and drivers at Dunkwa On Offin.
Over 70 members, drawn from the two groups, were taken through Introduction To Advocacy, The Importance of the Private Sector and Economic Development, The Roles and Obligation of Government as well as Regulations and The Businesses Environment.
Mr John Gershon Koomson, a consultant and facilitator of the sector, noted that BUSAC sought to help people in the private sector to manage their business effectively.
He said the decision by BUSAC to sponsor the workshop was to offer participants the requisite skills needed to effectively run and manage their businesses and to amicably resolve conflicts whenever they occurred.
“If conflicts are not properly handled, they have the tendency of collapsing an organisation, society or group,“ Mr Koomson observed.
The participants were also taken through How To Form and Organise A Strong and Effective Group, Effective Leadership and Functions Of The Various Leaders In A Group.
The Upper Denkyira East Municipal Officer, Mr Philip Lutterodt, charged participants to use the knowledge acquired to judiciously run their associations and businesses to improve their living standards.
He lauded BUSAC for sponsoring what he described as a very important workshop, which would go a long way to boost the nation’s human resource base, and enhance the development of the people.
The participants, at the end of the workshop, pledged to use the knowledge acquired, to contribute their quota to the development of the country.
Certificates of participation were issued at the end of workshop.
ANTI-RABIES CAMPAIGN ENDS IN OBUASI (NSEMPA, PAGE 3)
By Collins Agyekum Gyasi, Obuasi
THE Obuasi Office of the Veterinary Services has completed the first phase of a three-year anti–rabies free eradication campaign. The other phase would begin in April and end in May 2009.
Dr A.H. Kwansah Filson, the municipal veterinary officer, said it took three weeks to visit all the 30 electoral areas and immunized 3,156 pets against rabies, the highest in the country.
The exercise was aimed at drastically reducing the number of rabid animals in the municipality where the Veterinary Services had recorded an average number of four cases a day.
He said from January to June this year, 20 confirmed rabid cases in animals had been detect, hence the exercise.
Dr Filson added that, “Rabies is caused by a virus, which affects mainly the central nervous system.” The saliva of a rabid animal, not only dogs but also cats and bats, causes it.
“Children are at greater risk because of their short stature, fearlessness of animals and also their inability to protect themselves.”
He explained that the time between a bite from a rabid animal may be as short as nine days or as long as seven days and before the specific sign of rabies sets in, the patient, may have pain, hoarse voice, itchiness, and numbness of the place of bite.
The municipal Veterinary Officer, said, “human beings with rabies are also infectious” and could transmit rabies a week before the onset of the symptoms and advised the public to report bites immediately to a hospital, or veterinary officer for management such as Post Exposure Prophylaxis (P.E.P)
Again, he also advised that pets or dogs, which were immunised could be given another dose after a year adding that dogs, cats and rodents would remain a faithful companion to us and it behoved us to keep them safe.
He commended the Anglogold Ashanti (A.G.A), for the quick response to donate GH¢1,632.00 and also the Municipal Assembly’s contribution.
Dr Kwansah Filson, nonetheless appealed to the all Metropolitan, Municipal and District assemblies, to always set aside some funds from their budget to help the vet services to undertake such exercises.
THE Obuasi Office of the Veterinary Services has completed the first phase of a three-year anti–rabies free eradication campaign. The other phase would begin in April and end in May 2009.
Dr A.H. Kwansah Filson, the municipal veterinary officer, said it took three weeks to visit all the 30 electoral areas and immunized 3,156 pets against rabies, the highest in the country.
The exercise was aimed at drastically reducing the number of rabid animals in the municipality where the Veterinary Services had recorded an average number of four cases a day.
He said from January to June this year, 20 confirmed rabid cases in animals had been detect, hence the exercise.
Dr Filson added that, “Rabies is caused by a virus, which affects mainly the central nervous system.” The saliva of a rabid animal, not only dogs but also cats and bats, causes it.
“Children are at greater risk because of their short stature, fearlessness of animals and also their inability to protect themselves.”
He explained that the time between a bite from a rabid animal may be as short as nine days or as long as seven days and before the specific sign of rabies sets in, the patient, may have pain, hoarse voice, itchiness, and numbness of the place of bite.
The municipal Veterinary Officer, said, “human beings with rabies are also infectious” and could transmit rabies a week before the onset of the symptoms and advised the public to report bites immediately to a hospital, or veterinary officer for management such as Post Exposure Prophylaxis (P.E.P)
Again, he also advised that pets or dogs, which were immunised could be given another dose after a year adding that dogs, cats and rodents would remain a faithful companion to us and it behoved us to keep them safe.
He commended the Anglogold Ashanti (A.G.A), for the quick response to donate GH¢1,632.00 and also the Municipal Assembly’s contribution.
Dr Kwansah Filson, nonetheless appealed to the all Metropolitan, Municipal and District assemblies, to always set aside some funds from their budget to help the vet services to undertake such exercises.
COURT FINES FEUDING CO-TENANTS (PAGE 3)
By Collins Agyekum Gyasi, Obuasi
TWO co-tenants from Odumasi (Adansi) near Obuasi who bit each other’s lip because of a misunderstanding over payment of electricity bill have been fined GH¢200 each by the Obuasi Circuit Court. In default, each will serve six-month jail term.
Frimpong Bugyei 48, a driver and Frank Adjei, 38, a mechanic, were charged with acts, which tended to disturb the peace.
Again, Adjei was charged for a second count of causing unlawful damage to Bugyei’s property. Both pleaded guilty to the charges, and Agyei was granted a bail of GH¢500.
Presenting the facts of the case to the court, Sergeant Badu said, a misunderstanding over the payment of accumulated electricity bills, from the Electricity Company of Ghana ECG, arose when their staff disconnected electricity in the whole house.
Adjei the mechanic had acquired his own metre, within that same period. When Bugyei went to Adjei to collect money for the electricity bill, in the presence of the ECG worker he promised to pay, without giving any specific day.
This infuriated the collector and he went ahead to disconnect the line till the money was paid.
After the disconnection, a misunderstanding ensued between the two co-tenants, which led to a fight.
They ended up biting each other’s lips, one on the lower lip and the other on the upper lip resulting in both of them reporting at the hospital to have their lips sutured.
After Bugyei left to report the incidence to the police, Adjei entered the former’s room and caused damage to a standing fan, a turn over amplifier and a rechargeable lamp with an inbuilt television all valued at GH¢80.
TWO co-tenants from Odumasi (Adansi) near Obuasi who bit each other’s lip because of a misunderstanding over payment of electricity bill have been fined GH¢200 each by the Obuasi Circuit Court. In default, each will serve six-month jail term.
Frimpong Bugyei 48, a driver and Frank Adjei, 38, a mechanic, were charged with acts, which tended to disturb the peace.
Again, Adjei was charged for a second count of causing unlawful damage to Bugyei’s property. Both pleaded guilty to the charges, and Agyei was granted a bail of GH¢500.
Presenting the facts of the case to the court, Sergeant Badu said, a misunderstanding over the payment of accumulated electricity bills, from the Electricity Company of Ghana ECG, arose when their staff disconnected electricity in the whole house.
Adjei the mechanic had acquired his own metre, within that same period. When Bugyei went to Adjei to collect money for the electricity bill, in the presence of the ECG worker he promised to pay, without giving any specific day.
This infuriated the collector and he went ahead to disconnect the line till the money was paid.
After the disconnection, a misunderstanding ensued between the two co-tenants, which led to a fight.
They ended up biting each other’s lips, one on the lower lip and the other on the upper lip resulting in both of them reporting at the hospital to have their lips sutured.
After Bugyei left to report the incidence to the police, Adjei entered the former’s room and caused damage to a standing fan, a turn over amplifier and a rechargeable lamp with an inbuilt television all valued at GH¢80.
TWO IN TROUBLE FOR KILLING TAXI DRIVER (PAGE 3)
By Collins Agyekum Gyasi
TWO persons suspected to be members of a gang, which killed an Obuasi taxi driver and made away with the cab have been arrested and remanded in police custody for further investigations.
Kwabena Minta, 21 a driver and Kofi Owusu, 22 were suspected to be among the group, which killed Isaac Boampong and sped off with the cab.
The two were arrested at Gbawe near Mallam in Accra and later handed over to the Obuasi police. They were arrested upon a tip off while they were using the cab for taxi services.
A police source said Isaac’s cab with registration No AS 3418 Z was chartered by a group of people from Obuasi towards Anhwia Nkwanta on the Obuasi Kumasi highway on June 17, 2008.
However, at the outskirts of the Akrokerri Teacher Training College, the passengers attacked and murdered the driver in cold blood.
The sources said the body was dumped in a nearby bush and was found by a tutor from the college two days after the incident, with severe and deep cuts on the head and bruises all over his body. Also a butcher’s knife was found beside the body.
The case was initially reported as that of a missing person until the body was found and identified by a brother of Isaac, one Yaw Antwi by the attire and shoes he wore before setting out on that journey.
The body was transported to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) for autopsy.
TWO persons suspected to be members of a gang, which killed an Obuasi taxi driver and made away with the cab have been arrested and remanded in police custody for further investigations.
Kwabena Minta, 21 a driver and Kofi Owusu, 22 were suspected to be among the group, which killed Isaac Boampong and sped off with the cab.
The two were arrested at Gbawe near Mallam in Accra and later handed over to the Obuasi police. They were arrested upon a tip off while they were using the cab for taxi services.
A police source said Isaac’s cab with registration No AS 3418 Z was chartered by a group of people from Obuasi towards Anhwia Nkwanta on the Obuasi Kumasi highway on June 17, 2008.
However, at the outskirts of the Akrokerri Teacher Training College, the passengers attacked and murdered the driver in cold blood.
The sources said the body was dumped in a nearby bush and was found by a tutor from the college two days after the incident, with severe and deep cuts on the head and bruises all over his body. Also a butcher’s knife was found beside the body.
The case was initially reported as that of a missing person until the body was found and identified by a brother of Isaac, one Yaw Antwi by the attire and shoes he wore before setting out on that journey.
The body was transported to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) for autopsy.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
BEWARE OF FAKE POULTRY PRODUCTS (PAGE 54)
Mr Ernest Owusu-Afari, Managing Director of Maridav, a poultry feed company, has warned poultry farmers against counterfeit poultry products on the Ghanaian market.
He said there were a number of both positive and negative developments in the field which farmers should be aware of in view of the rising cost of poultry feed and energy the world over.
Mr Owusu-Afari was addressing more than 50 poultry and livestock farmers, veterinarians and feed millers at a seminar at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Kumasi.
It was the second forum held by the Austria-based BIOMIN company, producers of poultry products.
He stressed that recently there had been an attempt to pass some DSM layer pre-mix (a powdered product for poultry birds) as a DSM product.
Mr Owusu-Afari, therefore warned poultry farmers to be alert not to patronise those products, since one negative development in the poultry market could be disastrous for the entire nation.
The resource person and Managing Director of BIOMIN, Mr Erich Erber, explained how micro-toxins such as fla-toxins had become a serious threat to livestock production around the world.
He said BIOMIN realised the extent of the problem in the tropical regions of the world and invested in research and development “to develop products that will neutralise the harmful effects of mycotoxins in livestock feeds”.
Mr Erber outlined in detail, the socio-economic, political and technological trends that would affect the future of the livestock industry globally over the next 20 years.
Another resource person, Mr Norbert Tratter, Area Manager of BIOMIN for sub-Saharan Africa including South Africa, said fish meal was on the increase all over the world and for replacement and to find a solution, farmers had to depend on global-proven feeds and additives.
This, he observed, would depend on performance enhancement, good quality material and quality veterinary programme.
The chairman at the forum, Mr Seth Bekoe Appiah, Managing Director of Agricare Limited, said Agricare Limited would continue to use Lysine, methionine, layer premixes and carophyll materials from Maridav in the production of quality feeds and also recommended animal drugs supplied by Maridav to poultry and livestock farmers all over the country.
“Agricare will continue to recommend input materials supplied by Maridav Ghana limited to the poultry and livestock farmers because of the positive results we have experienced from the use of their materials supplied.”
He said there were a number of both positive and negative developments in the field which farmers should be aware of in view of the rising cost of poultry feed and energy the world over.
Mr Owusu-Afari was addressing more than 50 poultry and livestock farmers, veterinarians and feed millers at a seminar at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Kumasi.
It was the second forum held by the Austria-based BIOMIN company, producers of poultry products.
He stressed that recently there had been an attempt to pass some DSM layer pre-mix (a powdered product for poultry birds) as a DSM product.
Mr Owusu-Afari, therefore warned poultry farmers to be alert not to patronise those products, since one negative development in the poultry market could be disastrous for the entire nation.
The resource person and Managing Director of BIOMIN, Mr Erich Erber, explained how micro-toxins such as fla-toxins had become a serious threat to livestock production around the world.
He said BIOMIN realised the extent of the problem in the tropical regions of the world and invested in research and development “to develop products that will neutralise the harmful effects of mycotoxins in livestock feeds”.
Mr Erber outlined in detail, the socio-economic, political and technological trends that would affect the future of the livestock industry globally over the next 20 years.
Another resource person, Mr Norbert Tratter, Area Manager of BIOMIN for sub-Saharan Africa including South Africa, said fish meal was on the increase all over the world and for replacement and to find a solution, farmers had to depend on global-proven feeds and additives.
This, he observed, would depend on performance enhancement, good quality material and quality veterinary programme.
The chairman at the forum, Mr Seth Bekoe Appiah, Managing Director of Agricare Limited, said Agricare Limited would continue to use Lysine, methionine, layer premixes and carophyll materials from Maridav in the production of quality feeds and also recommended animal drugs supplied by Maridav to poultry and livestock farmers all over the country.
“Agricare will continue to recommend input materials supplied by Maridav Ghana limited to the poultry and livestock farmers because of the positive results we have experienced from the use of their materials supplied.”
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