Farmers call for help

THREE hundred Wasala cocoa farmers in Sumgilbar LLG, in Sumkar district, need support to continue their cocoa project launched on Nov 12 last year.
Cocoa project manager Francis Inuga said the 25ha project was funded and operated by the people.
He said the project was helping more than 300 community members and their families.
“About 250 poly bags and cocoa seedlings have been planted on that block of land dedicated to the project by the local landowners themselves,” he said.
“We have not received any funding from other organisation or groups since the beginning, back in 2008.”
Inuga said villagers had been producing cocoa with insufficient funding to carry out management work on the plantation.
He said the 300 workers needed proper pruning equipment such as handsaws and scissors as well as fertilisers and chemicals for disease control.
“My people need the help of LLG members, provincial and national departments.
“This project will bring good economic returns for the country,” Inuga said.
He said an application had been lodged to access the
K1 million given by the national agricultural sector.
Inuga said local people appreciated the funds made available but they had been told by the provincial DPI office that the money had been diverted and used for other purposes.
“I appreciate that the national government had assisted people like us but to divert the money for other purposes is not right,” he said.