Lack of adequate lands for farming affecting Youth in Agriculture Module

The Shama-Ahanta East Office of the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP) disbursed GH¢35,800 out of GH¢56,000 released by the government for the Youth in Agriculture module last year because of difficulty in obtaining farming lands in some areas. Mr James Obeng, NYEP Coordinator for the Essikado/Ketan Sub-Metropolitan Assembly, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Sekondi on Monday 1,500 people were engaged for the module last year in the metropolis and were given loans ranging from GH¢3,000 per group of not less than five persons. He said the groups were involved in the cultivation of vegetables, maize and other crops that could mature within six months to enable them harvest them to repay the loans. Mr Obeng said others took up grass cutter rearing.