Barely days after several marketers in Pleebo, Maryland County Electoral district # 2 vowed to boycott elections due to skyrocketing of commodity prices, County Agriculture Coordinator Christian Neckie Natthas promised to work assiduously to make the county self-sufficient in food.
Speaking on a community radio station Wednesday, August 19, Mr. Natt said though his office is faced with several constraints, includinglogistics, tools and finance, he is optimistic that in few years, the people of Maryland would feed themselves.
He said the Ministry of Agriculture sub-office in the county is working closely with local farmers through medium-scale empowering program, providing themseeds,tools, chemical and training. He added that some lawmakers of the county have made available machinery to farmers to boost their work.
He disclosed that the Ministry of Agriculture has promised to provide vehicles for the County Agriculture Coordinator despite economic hardship facing thegovernment.
However, he noted that the sub-office has received three Honda bikes from the World Food Programme as support to the Ministry of Agriculture.
He said the duty of the Ministry is to assist farmers in growing food across the country, saying, “Let me tell you what the Ministry does, it empowersfarmers in every county because she can’t be the source of empowerment at the same time producing huge quantity that will make buyers not to go after those products being harvested or produced by the farmers themselves.
“So we’re encouraging farmers to be more proactive because the government is willing to empower farmers who are prepared or ready to go into the agricultural business.”
Mr. Natt disclosed that since his appointment as Agriculture Coordinator for Maryland County, he has conducted trainingfor farmers in four agriculture districts in the county and also providedequipment, while maintaining some farm- to- market roads.
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He said with farmers’ willingness and the introduction of a three-month rice variety, Marylanders have no cause to worry, as in few years to come the county will be self-sufficient in food.
By Patrick N. Mensah. Maryland–Editing by Jonathan Browne
