Rice farmers at Adakope and kortokor electoral in the Shai Osudoku District of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana have bitterly expressed worry about the attitude of Thai Farmco Limited for encroachment on their farmlands in the area, stating that, the portions of the land which they have already cultivated and being claimed by the Thai Farmco Limited is unfortunate since it was not part of the portions of lands released to them by the Kpong Irrigation Authority,(KIS) revealing that, those areas where the rice farmers have cultivated has always being occupied by the indigenes of the area.
According to the farmers, the Thai Farmco Limited is preparing to invade their farms and destroy the crops which is over 7 hectares anytime soon but they are poised to resist any move by the company to destroy their crops and has since appealed to the Agriculture Ministry, Rice Development Authority and the entire government apparatus as a matter of urgency, avert any subsequent bloody clash between the rice farmers and Thai Farmco Limited.
The farmers again called on the custodians of the land who are the traditional authorities to also intervention as a matter urgency and find amicable solution to the situation before it escalate, since they will not allow their livelihoods to destroyed overnight. The farmers further stated that, the Thai Farmco Limited should wait for them to harvest their crops and thereafter they can address the issues rather than trying apply force to take over the farmland and destroy the crops.
The Assembly man for the area Hon.Abraham Teye Wayo Agbeko alleges that, it's the Akuse Police Commander who authorised the Thai Farmco Limited at Asutsuare to go and destroy their farms.
Korletey Agbeko, a farmer pointed out that, the people are not against the Thai Farmco Limited also operating in the area but will not allow their farmlands to be taken over from them.
"Nenebi Ayertey"of Rite Fm in a phone interview with the Akuse Police Commander denied the allegations of him issuing out authorisation to Thai Farmco Limited to go and destroy the crops of the farmers and made it clear that, only the court can give out such orders.
credit: David Nenebi