GIDA secures $6.5m KOICA grant to rehab Aveyime, Ashaiman irrigation projects

 The Ghana Irriga­tion Development Authority (GIDA) has received a grant of $6,530,000 to begin rehabilitation works on the Aveyime Irrigation Scheme in the Volta Region and Ashaiman and Dawhenya Irriga­tion scheme in the Greater Accra region.

The project, dubbed “the reha­bilitation of irrigation scheme and improvement of irrigation water management project” is expect­ed to improve food security and enhanced livelihoods for farmers, especially to increase yields in rice production in beneficiary commu­nities.

To this end, a grant signing ceremony was on Friday, held in Accra, between GIDA and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the financiers of the project.

The Country Director of KOI­CA-Ghana, Mr Moo Heon Kong, who signed on behalf of KOICA, recalled that on January 6, 2021, KOICA signed the record of dis­cussion with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to construct the Aveyime Irrigation Scheme in the Volta Region, and the Ashaiman and Dawhenya Irrigation scheme in the Greater Accra region.

He said the signing between KOICA and the GIDA, which would in turn implement the projects, cements the partnership arrangement and showed the commitment of both organisa­tions to support the transforma­tion of the Agriculture sector.

“The project aims at increasing the incomes of farmers in target areas because there can be all-year round farming with efficient irrigation infrastructure and improved irrigation water supply at the beneficiary schemes.

Through the project, KOICA is confident that the capacities of the Water Users Association (WUA) and government offi­cers will be built to manage the schemes and will eventually lead to an increase in agricultural production and productivity for farmers,” Mr Kong said.

The Acting Chief Executive Officer for GIDA, Mr Richard Oppong-Boateng, who signed for the Authority, lauded the project and explained that following the era of climate change, any invest­ment in the irrigation sub-sector of Agriculture could be the game changer for agricultural transfor­mation.

“Rice growing schemes con­tribute a lot to rice production and offer direct jobs to over 600 smallholder farmers and many indirect jobs in Ghana.

Rehabilitation of these schemes will definitely increase production and contribute to the intention of the state to reduce importation of rice, which amounts to USD 500 million annually, the intervention by KOICA-GIDA to increase yields in rice production is in line with the Vision of Ghana,” he said.

 BY BERNARD BENGHAN