Bad Roads Affecting Farm Products in Afram-Plains South – MP
Member of Parliament (MP) for Afram Plains South, Hon. Joseph Appiah Boateng, has reiterated the urgent need for better road infrastructure in the constituency, particularly the main road that links the constituency to other parts of the country.
He expressed concern that successive governments have neglected the people of Afram Plains regarding the road network, noting that “the road network in the Afram Plains is very appalling and this must not continue.”
The MP, affectionately known as JAB 1, emphasized this issue when he posed a question to the Minister for Roads and Highways in parliament about the poor road conditions in the constituency.
He inquired about the timeline for constructing a bridge over the Afram River to improve transportation in the Afram enclave.
“Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask the Minister for Roads and Highways when construction of a bridge over the Afram River will commence,” Joseph Appiah Boateng questioned the sector minister, Francis Asenso-Boakye.
In response, the sector minister, Asenso-Boakye acknowledged the importance of the Afram Plains as the breadbasket of Ghana and recognized that the current accessibility across the Afram River relies on a pontoon.
He admitted that constructing a bridge would significantly enhance connectivity between Adawso and Ekyiamanfrom on opposite ends of the river.
He stated, “Parliament approved an amount of €350 million for the construction of the bridge over the Afram River and its related ancillary roads in February 2022,” but noted that the financing agreement had not been signed due to the government’s debt restructuring program.
However, the Minister assured that the government is seeking alternative means to finance the project.
Hon. Appiah Boateng, speaking to EXPRESSNEWSGHANA, emphasized the critical importance of constructing the bridge for his constituents, as many farmers struggle to transport their produce due to the inaccessible roads.
In the interim, he is making efforts within his capacity to make the roads motorable, facilitating transportation for farmers to market centers and improving access to healthcare for residents.
While appealing to the government to expedite action on the project, the MP urged his constituents to remain patient and faithful as he continues to lobby for more development projects. He assured them he would not renege on his promise to work for their interests as their representative in parliament.
The Afram Plains South District is bounded to the north by Kwahu Afram Plains North, to the south by Kwahu South, to the east by the Volta River, and to the west by two districts in the Ashanti region: Sekyere East and Ashanti-Akim North Districts.
There are two main entrances into the district by road: the Nkawkaw-Mpraeso-Bepong-Kwahu Tafo and Adawso, from where the three-kilometer-wide Afram River is crossed to Ekye-Amanfrom by a ferry operated by the Volta Lake Transport Company (VLTC).
The second entrance is through Agogo in the Sekyere Afram Plains in the Ashanti region, where one can travel by road through Dome to Maame Krobo, then to Tease, the district capital.
The Volta Lake Transport Company provides ferry services on the lake, currently operating one ferry between Adawso and Ekye-Amanfrom in the Kwahu Afram Plains South.
The district’s economy is driven by agriculture, with vast tracts of arable land and favourable weather conditions. The agricultural sector comprises crop farming, animal husbandry, and fishing, with crop production employing about 90 percent of the active labour force. Animal husbandry accounts for five percent, fishing four percent, and other activities, including migrant Fulani herdsmen who roam the district with their cattle, make up one percent.
Major food crops grown in the district include yam, maize, cocoyam, plantain, beans, and groundnuts, along with cabbage, a recent addition to these traditional crops. Cash crops such as cashew, oranges, and oil palm are also cultivated mainly for commercial purposes. Farm sizes range from 2 to 30 acres for subsistence farming, while commercial farms range from 50 to 200 acres.
Hon. Appiah Boateng believes that a good road network in the area would spur more development, helping to mitigate unemployment in the country.
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Source: Felix Nyaaba // expressnewsghana.com