Bui Power Authority provides over GHC400,000 support to yam, groundnut farmers

The Bui Power Authority (BPA), managers of the Bui Generating Station in the Banda District, Bono Region, has provided financial assistance totaling GHC442,480 to yam and groundnut farmers around the dam’s enclave to engage in commercial farming.

The financial support is in line with the implementation of the Phase Two of the Authority’s flagship Livelihood Enhancement Programme (LEP), which commenced in 2019.

About 160 farmers of the Bui Dam Project Affected Persons (PAPs), residing at the Resettlement Community within the dam’s enclave, benefited from the package to enhance their socio-economic livelihoods.

Mr Samuel Kofi Dzamesi, the Chief Executive Officer, BPA, stressed the Authority’s readiness and commitment to improving the socio-economic livelihoods of the locals by helping to alleviate their plight.

He said agriculture remained a lucrative enterprise and, therefore, advised the groundnut and yam farmers to take their work seriously, while the Authority assisted to maintain and expand their farms.

They must also remain disciplined and work hard to be self-reliant and prosperous, he said.

Mr Eric Acheampong, the Deputy Director, Human and Natural Resource, BPA, said the implementation of the LEP Phase One encountered certain challenges, which led the authority to suspend it and undertake some assessments to tackle those challenges in the interest of the PAPs.

So far, phases One and Two had impacted about 660 PAPs out of the targeted 816, he said, and that the Authority was on course to improving the socio-economic livelihoods of the locals.

Giving a brief background of the LEP II, Mr Ahceampong said the Authority constituted the eligible PAPs into groups as either “standalones or service providers” and adequately resourced with tools as well as personal protective equipment to operate as independent entities.

With the Bui enclave being a predominantly farming area, the Authority constituted the Agricultural Modernization Module, also known as the BPA LEP 2 Irrigation Farming Module, to strategically invest in the farming exploits of the PAPs.

Nana Kwadwo Wuo II, the Chief of Bui, acknowledged the commitment of the BPA towards improving health, education and sports and enhance the socio-economic lives of the people.

He said though the residents were living comfortably, it was still imperative for the Authority to do more to ensure that all the unemployed youth got something to do to better their lot.

Mr Maxwell Gbadagbo, a yam farmer, and the spokesman for the beneficiaries, commended the BPA for the support and encouraged the farmers to invest the money in their farms to improve their income.

Madam Judith Nsiah, a groundnut farmer, also appealed to the Authority to assist in getting ready market and good prices for their produce.