Mr. Richard Oppong-Boateng, the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA), has renewed the authority’s resolve to ensure food sufficiency in the country by ensuring that all abandoned irrigation sites are rehabilitated and utilized.
According to the CEO, he has compiled a list of existing irrigation schemes across the country. He pointed out that the data showed that most of the irrigation sites are in deplorable states and needed to be revamped.
‘‘I have a database of most of the sites of the inner valleys in five regions that we visited that can be put to productive use. Some of them have farmers already cultivating it, but if we are able to have a lot of interventions, we can do three crop seasons.”
Mr. Richard Oppong-Boateng
In a press conference, Mr. Oppong-Boateng noted that Ghana has the potential to develop about 1.9 million hectares of land but for the past 50 years, it had done only 10 per cent, which equates to about 220,000 hectares. ‘‘Even out of that, about 80 per cent is by smallholder farming. So, if you put all that we have done together, you cannot even reach commercial farming capacity,’’ he stated. The Authority, he said, would continue to visit the sites, appraise, and expand those that needed expansion.
The GIDA CEO explained that GIDA is a body under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture responsible for the development of irrigation for agriculture production in Ghana. Its functions include providing public irrigation facilities, and technical and managerial services for the development and effective use of the facilities.
Meanwhile, a similar interest was shared by the CEO of Jospong Group of Companies who also expressed interest in revamping and managing the Ashaiman Research Centre. ‘‘We believe that irrigation should not be solely financed by Government. We should have the private sector also supporting, so we would work hand in hand with them,’’ Mr. Oppong-Boateng said.
Mr Richard Oppong- Boateng’s press conference came on the back of comments made by Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, when he tasked the CEO of GIDA to ensure that all small dams, which are almost out of order as a result of lack of maintenance are operational, particularly, in view of recent talks about rice production in the valleys and the forest regions.
Inauguration of New Board Members
Recently, New Board Members of the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) was inaugurated by the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto. According to the minister, GIDA has been active in field activities by undertaking three projects that dates way back to the 1960s. “The Authority has worked tirelessly to rehabilitate these projects which includes the Tono, Kpong and Vea irrigation projects,” he stated.
GIDA has since employed new concepts to revive the abandoned projects. Currently, the three facilities are about to be handed over to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture Ghana.
Mr Richard Oppong-Boateng brought new zeal to GIDA as he was appointed as the acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority (GIDA) barely a month ago. His appointment was done by the Board of Directors of the Authority upon the recommendation of the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto.
Until his appointment, Ing. Boateng was the Director of the Irrigation Technology and Innovation Department of the Authority. His appointment took effect on 1st January, 2023, taking over from Wilson Darkwah whose tenure ended on December 31, 2022.
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