Agriculture To Spearhead Northern Transformation – Dr. Bawumia

Dr Bawumia speaking at the durbar

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, running mate to the flagbearer of New Patriotic Party (NPP), has stated that agriculture would be a major focus of the next NPP administration, stating that agriculture would be one of the major tools for the transformation of the North.

Dr. Bawumia made this known at Wungu in the Walewale constituency of the Northern region on Monday while addressing a durbar of chiefs, elders and the people of the town as part of his tour of the Mamprugu areas of the region.

Addressing the people in his native Mampruli, Dr. Bawumia said, “Nana Akufo-Addo is committed to see the North develop and the gap between us and our brothers and sisters in the south bridged. We are focused on transforming the north. We want to put the vast land at our disposal to productive purposes and to make the North a food basket for Ghana and the entire Sahel region in order specifically to create jobs and improve lives.”

Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia noted that the Northern Development Authority would spearhead the transformation of the North. He said that the NDA would be tasked to make agriculture one of its key priority areas.

He stated that the North has rich land which could not be allowed to lie fallow anymore.

The NPP vice presidential candidate said that aggressively developing agriculture in the north would lead to significant improvement in the lives of the millions of people who depend on agriculture.

This, he indicated, would ensure that peasant farmers secured stable and decent livelihood and would also stem the drift to the south by able-bodied men and women who engage in menial jobs.

He added that improving the road infrastructure would be a key component of northern development strategy.

Former Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, who accompanied Dr. Bawumia on the tour, told the people of the North that the election was ultimately about their livelihood.

He asked the electorate to vote for the Nana Akufo-Addo who had demonstrated that he had the ideas and the commitment to make life better for Ghanaians.

Dr. Bawumia was accompanied on the tour by a number of eminent NPP personalities who hail from the north.

They include Alhaji Aliu Mahama, former Vice President, Shaykh T.B. Damba, second vice chairman of the NPP, Mr. Bugri Naabu, a leading member of the NPP in the Northern Region, Mr. J.J Yidana, a former Police Chief who was exiled after the 31st December coup.

Mustapha Hamid, spokesperson of Nana Akufo-Addo, Ben Salifu, former Northern Regional Minister, NPP National Youth Organizer, Anthony Karbo, Rita Asobayire, former National Women’s Organizer of the NPP, Rashid COP, Northern  Regional Youth Organizer and  the NPP’s parliamentary candidates for the Mamprugu constituencies

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Govt to provide agri tools to farmers on subsidised rates

By: Ahmad Ahmadani 

ISLAMABAD - A rare gesture can be termed as right step towards right direction, the PPP-led government in a bid to promote solar tube wells in the country is mulling to provide agricultural tools to the farmers on subsidised rates.

Viewing worsening energy crisis with each passing day coupled with mounting political pressure ahead of general election year on the political arena of the country, ruling coalition government is however now genuinely working on a strategy to promote alternative as well as renewable energy sources including solar in the country in a bid to meet the growing demands of country’s vast agriculture sector. On 12th June, a meeting in collaboration with Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technologies to promote alternative energy sources is scheduled to be held in the premises of Ministry of Industries (MoI) where a strategy is likely to be evolved regarding the provision of agricultural tools run on solar energy to the farmers on very subsidized rates.

It was also learnt that ahead of general election the government, in a right move to promote solar tube wells for agriculture sector, has decided to provide a great chunk of the subsidy only to secure the sympathies of the over burdened as well as ignored farmers of the country bearing sky-high prices of electric power from a long times to make both ends meet. Following the announcement of proposed tax in federal budget of fiscal year 2012-13 on Peter engines coupled with grand sales tax (GST), the government is now leaving no stone unturned to address the deep concerns of farmers amicably.

Sources were of the view that government should come on forefront in a bid to promote production of solar energy tools including its panels and relevant spare parts at large numbers in the country. The government must allocate great share of subsidy for the agriculture sector or convince the banks for leasing of solar technologies in country though so far they remained reluctant to offer loans in this regard to incumbent government.

Similarly, Advisor to Prime Minister on Industries Muhammad Bisharat Raja on Tuesday visited Pakistan Council of Renewable Energy Technologies and held talks with the delegations of farmers seeking relief for the agriculture sector from the federal government. However, he assured them that their concerns and reservations would be brought in the notice of Premier Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and various measures would also be taken to increase agricultural production in the country.

It is worth mentioning here that agriculture of the country had been badly hit due to heavy shortfall of electricity or some other pretext resultantly the target of cotton growing could not achieved.

It was targeted that cotton would be grown up in 64 lakh acres but so far only 40 to 50 lakh acres have been cultivated for cotton crop in the country.

Similarly, rice crop that requires heavy quantity of water will be hit badly due to long hours power load shedding. Further, the national kitty was expected to get Rs25 billion with cotton crop.

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Garden wisdom earned, and shared

Jerry Apps, author of several books on gardening, at The Morton Arboretum… (Nuccio DiNuzzo, Tribune…)

A well-seasoned gardener spills the beans on growing vegetables and, OK, even a few flowers

By Nina Koziol, Special to Tribune Newspapers

When you've been gardening for six decades, you're apt to discover a few things in between all the planting, weeding and watering — like the enchanting sound of bird song on a cool summer morning, a hawk gliding overhead in search of a midday meal, or the scent of freshly turned soil, which Jerry Apps describes as a pungent, powerful smell full of history and promise.

A professor emeritus in the department of agriculture and life sciences at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, storyteller, rural historian and author of dozens of books, his newest book is "Garden Wisdom: Lessons Learned From 60 Years of Gardening" (Wisconsin Historical Society Press), and it covers the joys of growing vegetables.

The book contains hard-earned advice along with insights on how tending a garden can lead to a deeper understanding of nature. The project was a family affair, with recipes supplied by Ruth, his wife of 51 years, and photos taken by son Steve Apps at Roshara, the family farm and garden in northwest Waushara County, Wis., 100 miles north of Madison.

We met up with Apps at a recent lecture and book signing at The Morton Arboretum, to unearth his secrets to successful gardening.

Q: You began gardening during the Depression. How do you keep the fourth generation of Apps interested?

A: Gardening is the easiest way to introduce children to nature and to the soil and to help them understand where food comes from. Kids have a terrible time understanding that carrots come out of the ground. And carrots don't grow all the same size — you don't know what you're going to find when you harvest them. That's the mystery and mystique of gardening.

Q: You grow your vegetables in rows. Have you tried other methods?

A: I have a lot of room so I plant in rows, but there are all kinds of ways to do a garden. Square foot gardening (planting in blocks) is a wonderful idea, as is gardening in raised beds.

Q: Do you have a favorite tool?

A: My hoe. I have three hoes and my favorite is one with a 2-inch wide rectangular blade. Hoeing is an integral part of gardening. (He devotes an entire chapter to the art of hoeing.)

Q: Are you surprised at the resurgence in vegetable gardening?

A: In the '60s, the students on the Madison campus decided to grow gardens as part of the back-to-the-land movement. They had no idea of what a hoe was or how to use it. What they didn't understand was that the vegetables grow but so do the weeds, so it wasn't such a romantic idea, but it's come back as a roaring movement.

Q: What's your favorite vegetable?

A: Potatoes, followed by tomatoes. That's because I grew up eating potatoes three times a day during the Depression: fried, baked and in soup. They're nutritious. I went to a one-room country school and in October we had a two-week potato vacation because all the kids picked potatoes. I also grow a Three Sisters Garden: corn in the center, pole beans in a circle around the corn and squash around the outside of the beans. The Indians believed that corn, squash and beans were inseparable sisters that grew and thrived together.

Q: How do you deal with bugs?

A: I avoid all pesticide use. When potato bugs come out, I pick them off and throw them in a bucket of water. Keep an eye out for insects; you'll take care of 70 percent like that.

Q: Your growing season is just 100 days. What's key to harvesting the most vegetables?

A: I plant in stages. To keep track of everything, I use a planting list on a pad of legal paper. I start tomatoes in March indoors for planting outdoors in May. One of the earliest things we do is plant potatoes outdoors. Each potato is cut into sections so it has an "eye" (bud). Buy them from a garden center — don't use supermarket potatoes because they've been treated and the eyes won't grow. Next, radishes and carrots are planted together (outdoors). The radishes come up first and I harvest them, which makes room for the carrots. We love onions and we grow them from sets (dried bulbs). Peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, squash and pumpkins go in next.

Q: What's new in your garden this year?

A: Every year we plant something a little exotic. I like broom corn because the seed heads make great bird seeds. One of the reasons for gardening is the aesthetics of just doing it. Sometimes you plant something just so you can look at it. For example, gourds are really fun. There are little bitty ones and big ones that can be used as birdhouses.

Q: And flowers?

A: I'm really a vegetable gardener, but sunflowers — oh, my gosh — what is more beautiful than to go out in your garden on a sunny day and be welcomed by a sunflower?

Q: What's the most important lesson you've learned?

A: Gardening is a way to connect to nature and the land in one of the most meaningful ways. We're not making any more soil. Through gardening, we learn to be a part of — not apart from — nature. It's also taught me patience. Be surprised and enjoy it. You have to realize that there's more to gardening than putting seeds in the ground and pulling weeds.

sunday@tribune.com

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