Ho (VR), Nov. 25, GNA-Mr Anthony Avorgbedor, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for the Ketu North Municipality in the Volta Region, has said agriculture was the mainstay of the Ketu North Municipal economy.
He said about 61.7 per cent of households in the Municipality are engaged in farming or agricultural related activities.
“Farming in the Municipality is largely carried out on a small scale basis. The average acreage cultivated ranges between 4 to 6 acres for all crops.”
Mr Avorgbedor made the revelation on Wednesday, November 24 at the ongoing Volta Trade and Investment Fair in Ho with a focus on promoting local development in the region during a tour of the fair.
On rice production, he said the activity is done under irrigation and valley bottoms which has risen significantly over the period with an average yield rising from 4.0 Mt/Ha in 2018 to 5.8 Mt/ha in 2020.
“Land area cultivated has also increased to 4245 Ha in 2020 from 2795 Ha in 2018 and in both cases, production is done twice a year.”
“The phenomenon led to a rise in production in the Volta region, making the Municipal being adjudged the leading rice producer in the region,” he said.
Mr Avorgvedor also said crops grown in commercial quantities in the municipality included, maize, cassava, sweet potato, and cowpea.
According to him, vegetable production in the area is largely rain-fed. He mentioned pepper, okro, garden eggs, and water melons as vegetables under cultivation.
On aquaculture, he said fish farming in the area is largely done by the help of Dekpor, Ohawu and Tadzewu dams.
Mr Avorgbedor said the area abounds in tourism potentials which are virtually under-developed with Eco- Tourism leading the way.
Some of the sites included, the Roman Catholic Church Glotoh at Dzodze-Deme, Sacred Forest at Afife, Palm tree with 14 heads at Kasu, Adru forest at Adrume, Adzoatsi and Dekpor Dam, Dzago Pond at Ehi – Dzagoto, Trokosi shrine at Afife, and others.
Challenges associated with the tourism sector in the area, he said, included poor access to tourist sites due to bad nature of roads and non-existence of roads, negative attitude, as well as limited investment by local authorities and private sector to develop the tourism infrastructure and attndant services.
The Municipality has a total population size of about 114,846, consisting 53,932 males and 60,914 females representing 47 per cent and 53 per cent respectively with a population growth rate of about 1.9 per cent.
Many exciting traditional festivals were annually celebrated by a good number of communities in the area such as, Deza by the people of Dzodze, Denyaza by the people of of Weta, Ehi Gali Za by the people of Ehi, Nugoryiza by the people of Penyi, and Anyigbla Za by the people of Afife.
The Municipality has four Traditional areas namely, Penyi, Dzodze, Weta, and Afife with the main capital at Dzodze.
Other areas of development in the Municipality were also revealed.
There were a number of chiefs and queen mothers from the four traditional areas at the fair.
Togbui Dadzi V, the Paramount Chief of Penyi Traditional Area, in an interaction with the Ghana News Agency, said the Investment Fair was in the right direction towards harnessing the rich cultural and investment potentials of the region.
He said unity among the Chiefs in the area had made it possible for them to rally behind the MCE to visit the fair.
All the Departmental Heads in the Municipality were in attendance, including the Information Services Department (ISD).
GNA