By Jones Anlimah
The chiefs and people of Ziope in the Agotime Ziope District of the Volta region have celebrated their 2022 Agbleza festival with a renewed appeal to the government to set up a tomato factory under its flagship programmes of 1D1F and Planting for Food and Jobs. This, according to the chiefs and people of the area, will help address the issue of post-harvest losses.
The celebration marked the 10th anniversary of the annual Agbleza convened by the Chiefs and people of Ziope Traditional Area.
Agbleza (farming festival) is celebrated in the last week of August after a bumper harvest. The Ziope Traditional Area constitutes communities with farming as their main occupation.
The theme for the 2022 Agbleza was “consolidating the gains of farming towards our development”.
According to the Chiefs and People, the choice of this year’s theme highlights the need for a holistic approach to development within the Ziope traditional area.
The Agotime Ziope District Chief Executive, Emelia Adzimah, commended the people for sustained peace, ”a pre-requisite for any form of development”.
The Acting President of the Ziope Traditional Council, Awadada Vizaze Adzaho, said the sorry state of the road networks coupled with the lack of small dams and dug-outs discourage farmers from optimizing production of their crops and vegetables especially tomatoes.
“It is in this vein that we wish to renew our appeal to government to establish a tomatoes factory in our traditional area and may I take this opportunity to assure the Minister For Food and Agriculture that Ziope traditional area is ready with a parcel of land and prepared for such an initiative.”
He also called for the conversion of the Ziope Senior High School into a boarding facility.
”This is one of the headaches of many parents in the traditional area who have to take the risk to rent rooms for their underage wards to be on their own. It is our strong believe that this, if implemented would play very well into the government’s free Senior High School Policy.”
The Deputy Minister for Agriculture in charge of Crops, Alhaji Mohammed Hardi Tufeirua, commended the Chiefs and people of the area especially for their contribution towards producing to feed Ghanaians and assured that their desire for a Tomato Factory will be communicated to the Sector Minister and Presidency for consideration.
The target for this year’s Agbleza was to raise money to complete an apartment building to accommodate three staff of the Ziope Health Centre.