Fourteen farmers within the host communities of AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine have benefitted from the Teberebie Vegetable Cooperative Project at Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality in the Western Region.
The Teberebie Vegetable Cooperative Project is part of the many other initiatives under implementation by Iduapriem Mine in response to the increasing unemployment situation within its host communities.
The project’s first phase involved 14 farmers who cultivated vegetables such as cabbages, watermelons, green pepper, lettuce, carrots and cucumber over an eight-acre land area.
The project’s next phase will be expanded to cover 20 community farmers who will be expected to cultivate vegetables over a 20-acre land area.
Beneficiaries of AngloGold Ashanti Iduapriem Mine’s Teberebie Vegetable Project have lauded the mining company for this initiative, and described the project as successful since it has helped to boost their income levels and improve their livelihoods.
At a brief ceremony to present an amount of GH¢40,000 realised from sales of vegetables by the farmers, Mr. Stephen Adjei, Senior Manager of Sustainability-Iduapriem Mine, congratulated farmers for their hard work and unrelenting efforts in ensuring success for the project’s first phase.
“I am extremely happy to see you succeed in this project, knowing the challenges that you faced in the beginning. I have no doubt that if you demonstrate the same zeal and commitment in the next phase, another remarkable success will be chalked up,” he added.
Mr. Karol Senker, Municipal Agric Officer of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), pledged his outfit’s readiness to partner with Iduapriem Mine for such initiatives, as they fall in line with government’s Planting for Food and Jobs agenda.
He indicated that the ministry will continue providing the needed technical assistance and support to ensure successful implementation of the full project cycle.
Nana Kojo Minnah II, Chief of Teberebie community, thanked Iduapriem Mine for such an intervention and assured management of their unflinching support and cooperation.
He advised the beneficiary farmers to invest the money wisely, work harder than before and trumpet their success stories – particularly to the youth.
A beneficiary of the project, Mr. Moses Hagor, expressed gratitude for the support and urged the mining company to extend the project to cover many other farmers in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality.
“I hope the programme will be extended to assist other farmers in the municipality to also boost their income levels,” he said.
