 |
| Torgbui Dey III and Mama Agbaledzokpui of Dzodze Apetepe |
The Chiefs and
People of Dzodze Traditional area in the Ketu-North district of the Volta
region have climaxed their 13th annual ‘Deza’ (Oil Palm Festival)
over the weekend, with a call on young people in the area to venture into
cultivation and production of oil palm instead of engaging in risky
unsustainable and illegal economic activities.
The Ketu North district
is one of the districts in the Volta region that records worrying levels of
fuel smuggling due to their proximity to the to the Republic of Togo.
But according to the
Volta Regional Minister Helen Adwoa Ntoso, the potentials in the oil palm
industry are enormous and lucrative, which can lead to economic security.
She said aside the domestic consumption of oil
palm, its extensive use as a vital raw material for industrial production of
products such as cosmetics, soaps, bio-diesel fuel, among others, makes its
cultivation a very lucrative venture, which can turn the fortunes of many young
people.
She proposed as a
way of motivating the youth, the institution of an award scheme to reward the
best oil palm farmer, saying ‘it is when our people are engage in this kind of
economic activities, that little by little our economy will grow into a robust
one.’
The minister also commended
the efforts of all farmers and assured them of government continuous support
through various agriculture intervention programmes to make farming worthwhile.
