In the quest to enhance their welfare, farmers across the country will enjoy special insurance and retirement packages under the next National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
Vice Presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang who announced the intervention, said the aim is to proactively protect farmers against risks.
“As key players in the agriculture production which is critical to the growth of the National economy, the well being of farmers will be prioritised by the NDC administration,” she said.
According to her, every sector of the economy will be given a facelift for the overall good of the people.
Addressing farmers at a durbar in Essam in the Bia West constituency of the Western North Region on Friday as part of her campaign tour of the area, Prof. Opoku-Agyemang said the insurance package is in addition to various interventions to support farmer and to make the agriculture sector more productive and beneficial.
For instance, she assured the farmers that the NDC will sustain its track record of increasing cocoa prices annually so as to enable farmers to benefit from their toil.
“Your produce is the backbone of our economy and we shall continue implement policies that benefit you directly, ” she said.
She indicated the completion of roads in the cocoa growing areas, provision of free fertiliser and agro chemicals, access to health facilities and the farmers’ living condition during retirement are issues that will engage the full attention of the next NDC government.
The retirement package for farmers, she said falls in line with the NDC’s social welfare programme that will ensure that workers, especially in the informal sector, are properly cushioned in their old age.
The objective of such support interventions, she explained is to motivate farmers to produce more to enable the country to significantly reduce food imports.
” A country which depends on others to feed itself will always be in difficulty, ” she stressed.
Touching briefly on the activities of illegal mining, Prof Opoku-Agyemang lamented the devastating effects of the practice on agriculture and especially the nation’s water bodies.
According to her, the NDC will introduce more farming incentives to discourage farmers from selling their lands for illegal mining.
“Those engaging in any form of mining should always ensure that their operations do not destroy the very essence of our lives. Our water bodies are key to our existence and we must be mindful that, nothing can be a substitute for water”.
In addition, she assured of effective measures to regularise the operations of these miners into sustainable and legal mining activities.
Story: Nancy Obimpeh
