Tamale, April 29, GNA - The Cotton Farmers Association of Ghana (CFAG) on Thursday appealed to the government to provide cotton farmers with inputs to enable them go into farming this year.

The Association said it had made several appeals in the past to government to rescue the cotton industry from collapse but these appeals had not received any positive response and expressed the hope that this time round their cry would be given attention.

Mr. Nashiru Adam, the National Secretary, told a press conference in Tamale that over the past nine years, following the closure of some cotton companies in the country, cotton farmers in the three northern regions had been rendered redundant.

He said while they, the cotton farmers, remained jobless cotton seeds and lint continued to appreciate in value on the world market. Mr Adam said at the local front there were companies that could provide local market for cotton farmers and mentioned some of them to include the Akosombo and Juapon textiles. Mr. Adam said Bosbel in Tamale and Ghana Nut Company in Techiman could also process cotton seed into edible oil and cake for poultry and other animal feed.

He said government policy of providing free school uniforms to school children had opened up another opportunity in the cotton business but despite all these potentials cotton farming was collapsing because of the lack of government support. Mr Adam said a few weeks from now the cotton farming season would start in the three northern regions and appealed to government to provide tractor services, fertilizers, sprayers and pesticides to the farmers. He said given the inadequate or non-existent resources of many cotton farmers, government would be of immense help to the industry if it extends credit facilities to cotton farmers.