The Irrigation Company of Upper Regions (ICOUR) has trained 100 young people in rice seed production at Tono as part of broader efforts by the government to modernize agriculture and expand youth participation in farming in the Upper East Region, Regional Minister Donatus Akamugri Atanga said Wednesday.
Speaking at his first press soiree in Bolgatanga, Atanga said the training is aimed at improving access to quality rice seed while creating employment opportunities for young people. He added that about 1,000 farmers are expected to benefit from the distribution of 20,000 kilograms of rice seed and 3,000 bags of fertilizer under the government’s HAPPY Project.
The minister said the region recorded strong agricultural gains over the past year, with cultivated land increasing by 5 percent and production of key staples such as maize and rice rising by 4 percent. He attributed the growth to favorable rainfall and interventions under the Feed Ghana Programme, which expanded farmer registration from 8,221 to 10,314 and supported farmers with more than 19,000 bags of fertilizer. Fourteen senior high schools also received assistance to strengthen school farms, while livestock production rose by 8 percent, particularly in guinea fowls and local poultry.
To enhance productivity and value addition, Atanga said the government has secured a credit arrangement with Chinese firm Lovol to supply farmers with modern farm machinery. He also announced that memoranda of understanding have been signed with private and public partners to strengthen the agricultural value chain, including agreements with Vinkumans Company Limited to revamp the ICOUR Guest House and Club House, Shield Contractors Limited to establish a rice processing factory in Navrongo, and the Ghana Prisons Service to promote cage fishing in the Tono Reservoir. Nationally, fish farmers have also been allocated GH¢100 million in the 2026 budget, he said.
The regional minister further disclosed that 100 portable water pumps have been distributed to farmers across the region to boost irrigation and support year-round farming, describing the move as critical to improving food security. In line with the government’s agricultural transformation agenda, he said authorities have identified 24,475 acres of irrigable land across the Binduri, Bawku West and Builsa South districts, as well as the Kassena-Nankana Municipality, for development into commercial farming enclaves.
Atanga said he recently led a delegation, including the majority leader of Parliament, engineers and private sector actors, to tour the proposed sites to explore partnerships for developing the land. The initiative, he noted, is aligned with the government’s 24-hour economy policy and is intended to unlock the region’s agricultural potential through all-year-round farming.
Source: A1 Radio | 101.1 Mhz | Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith | Bolgatanga
