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are so enthused about this and even wants to do more. Taken into consideration that the village population is about
380, when we cultivate fully we will be in the position to employ about a quarter of the population.
The concerns and Interest showed by the Chief and Elders of the Village has been very phenomenal. The young,
dynamic and energetic Chief of Simbrofo, who himself, has traveled and lived in most countries in Europe (France,
Germany, Italy, Switzerland etc) was so enthusiastic about the interest my group showed in acquiring a plot of land
for farming in his village. They exhibited this initiative with pomp and pageantry before the commencement of the farm
project and I am proud to say the Chief and his elders have pledged their full support for the success of the farm
project.
W e envisage the project to be a long term one and therefore have some future plans:
n The remaining 150 acres will be cultivated within the next 2 farming seasons. This will invariably necessitate
an increase in inputs (labour, machinery, chemicals etc)
n The proceeds that will be realized from the first 50 acres will be ploughed back in the our expansion work
n W e will embark on further training of the farm management to meet the challenges that may confront us
n An attempt will be made to cultivate all year round and hence resort to irrigation. This, no doubt, is a
capital intensive venture but we believe we can surmount this hurdle when all stake holders in this project assist
Since Attaining independence many African countries as well as the World Bank have tried in various ways in
developing the continent but unfortunately all have proved futile due to reason best known to everyone here. The
United states as the worlds leader in food aid provides more than $1.4 billion in emergency food aid to African
countries. I believe that food aid without finding ways of raising food production in African will never be in the interest
of African countries. The Heavily Indented Poor Countries initiative (HIPC) has to date provided $ 31 billion in debt
reduction to 27 countries pursuing economic reforms, 23 of them in Africa, all these measures has also not helped
African countries
I believe that the assistance offered by MIDA, if sustained will go a long way in helping Ghana to turn around. This
facility will further enhance the creation of jobs to the growing unemployed and boost up food production for
consumption and as raw materials for industries.
It will also fit perfectly well into the Government of Ghana s policy of Golden Age of Business with its attendant positive
acknowledgement by the government of MIDA s great assistance. The political implication of MIDA s funding of these
projects can not be overemphasized.
I am most grateful to MIDA-Italy for the opportunity offered, through which they will represent a new viable approach
to involve immigrants as development partners for African countries in becoming a turning point to Africa s growth. I
believe that for the continent to develop Africans must be protagonist and this exactly the spirit of MIDA
Africa Diaspora Investment Forum