ANGLOGOLD ASHANTI INVESTS GHC500,000 TO REVOLUTIONARIZE AGRIC IN OBUASI

 

A section of the beneficiary farmers in a group photograph with AGA officials and Nana Kwasi Kotei Mfram after the Project launch

AngloGold Ashanti, in partnership with the Obuasi Municipal Directorate of Agriculture, has launched an initiative code-named ‘Community Farming Support Project’ as part of a strategy to diversify the local economy. 

About 150 farming households constituting the pioneer beneficiaries of the initiative valued at 500 thousand Ghana Cedis are being supported with agricultural production inputs, technical assistance and market linkages to cultivate large acreages of maize and vegetables aimed at ensuring food security while transforming the mining enclave into a viable agricultural hub. 

The ‘Community Farming Project’ is part of various initiatives being led by AngloGold Ashanti, A.G.A., in collaboration with the Obuasi Municipal and Obuasi East District directorate of Agriculture, to revive and diversify the economy of the Adansi traditional area, particularly Obuasi within the next 10 years. 

Mr. Daniel Arthur Bentum-Economic Dvpt Supt. of A.G.A. launching the Project.

The Economic Development Superintendent at A.G.A., Mr. Daniel Arthur Bentum, noted that also, that the ‘Community Farming Project’ falls into the Mine’s climate resilience initiative. 

“In the long term, we’re looking at supporting about 500 farmers as part of our 10-year socio-economic development plan. …our target is that, in large is to look at 500 farmers in vegetables, 500 farmers in cereals and we look at 1,000 in the whole”, he explained.

The project is an upscale of the ‘Obuasi Goes Agro-OGA’ concept began in 2019 to revolutionarize agricultural production as one of the viable alternative sources of employment with a medium to long term goal of projecting the area as a major food production enclave in the Ashanti region. 

This is to reduce the over reliance on AngloGold Obuasi Mine as the mainstay of the local economy and source of livelihood so that in future, in times of eventuality, the people would still have alternative sustainable socio-economic backbone, unlike in the period between 2014 and 2018 when the mine virtually collapsed due unfavourable national and international factors. Management of A.G.A. is investing an initial 500 thousand Ghana Cedis in support through the reliable supply of agro inputs like hand-held planters, slashers, sprayers, assorted fertilizers, approved chemicals and improved planting materials. 

Samples of the farming equipment at the Project launch

The ‘Community Farming Support Project’, which is to be implemented across 20 communities for a start, is assisting 150 farming households to cultivate 200 acres of maize and 25 acres of vegetables with women and youth being among the focused groups. 

The beneficiary farmers will as well receive technical support in their production in addition to market linkages to guarantee them sale and income after harvest. The Ankobiahene of Adansi Dompoase, Nana Akwasi Kotei Mfram, commended AngloGold Ashanti for the commitment towards socio-economic wellbeing of the operational area and asked the beneficiary farmers to appreciate the support through hardwork and dedication to the project.

“Let us all accept and support this project since it has enormous benefits. It’ll create many job opportunities for the women and youth in this area. AngloGold Ashanti has sung so much into this. Let’s make the investment worthwhile”, he advised. 

The Obuasi Municipal Director of Agriculture, Mr. Raphael Atta Peprah, also commended A.G.A. for its enormous support to agricultural production in the municipality saying, that, it is a major complement to the government’s programmes in the sector which must be taken serious by the residents. 

Mr. Peprah, urged the beneficiaries “let us cherish this initiative by the Mine. It is hoped that, if the initial 150 beneficiary farmers justify the support, many more others would also benefit from the gesture.”

One of the outstanding farmers with her appreciation prize

At the project launch, some individual farmers and hardworking executives of the ‘Obuasi Goes Agro-OGA’ farmer based organization were recognized and awarded with farming inputs and machineries. The awardees included outstanding woman, youth and aged farmers who received wellington boots, slashers, hand-held planters to motivate them to improve their production level while encouraging other farmers to do better.