The dialogue meeting which seeked to specifically find the Tano South District Assembly’s role in finding market access, storage facilities, improvement in the road network, irrigation facilities processing plants and the standardization of the boxes used in the purchase of tomatoes.
Mr. Tetteh Oko Abraham told the Assembly that the CSD had taken the Tomatoe
s Farmers through various programmes which would benefit them in their business and mentioned some of the programmes as capacity building, leadership skills and group dynamics.
The Non Governmental Organization pleaded with the District Chief Executive to help see how best they could collaborate with the Assembly to support them in areas li
ke marketing of their produce, storage facilities, roads, 
irrigation facilities and standard boxes. The NGO (CSD) called on the District Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) Directorate to strengthen other farmer based organizations and also help make available inputs to the farmer associations.
The Tano South District Chief Executive in reaction to some concerns raised that District Assemblies were given the option to acquire graders on their own from pla
nt pool to rehabilitate roads in their various districts but it was seen that the assembly could not purchase one since it owned a lot and could not afford paying for it.
The District Chief Executive assured the farmers and the Non Governmental Organizations that the assembly would do all it can to hire a grader from those who could purchase to rehabilitate the roads.
The District Chief Executive said there are disparities in the pricing system which clearly indicates that there exist cheating in the system and called on the NGO to pray to Government to give a mandatory pricing whilst the Tano South District is also thinking of alternative strategies when the rainfall pattern do not favour us.
The District Chief Executive hinted that the Hon Dept Minister of Water Resource Works and Housing on a days working visit to the district held talks with the assembly and on NGO Liberty Life Foundation in coming into collaboration to find ways and means of finding storage and irrigation facilities in the Tano South District and implementing it.
He hinted that the assembly is in the process of drafting a proposal to put in place measures to attract investors to the Tano South District but called on the farmers to remain united since in unity lies strength.
In an open forum various concerns were raised as to the availability of inputs to farmers, the mode of selection of awards and the need for all associations to register.
Farmer associations from Derma, Techimantia, Dwomo, Ankaase and Derma Nkwakyire attended the programme.
BARNIE K AGYEMAN, DISTRICT INFO OFFICER
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