[2008-08-01]  Golden Star Resources hands over palm plantations to farmers
Hon Esther Obeng Dapaah, Minister of Mines, Lands and Forestry
The Minister of Mines, Lands and Forestry, Hon. Esther Dapaah has commended mining firm, Golden Star Resources, for its establishment of the an oil palm plantation for a collection of smallholder farmers in the Wassa Fiase and Wassa Amenfi areas of the Western Region.

The Minister made the commendation at the handing over ceremony of four hectare farms under a Golden Star Oil Palm Plantations Limited (GSOPP) project to 69 farmers at Bogoso on Wednesday.

The GSOPP is a business model focussing on the creation of immediate employment and long-term income generation for the youth, and targets to develop a cropping rate of 1,000 hectares per annum and 100,000 planted palms.

“When I was here last November the project attracted my attention sufficiently for me to decide to keep in touch with its progress. Today I am quite impressed by the success and progress made within the relatively short period of two years. I am also thrilled at the promise it now holds out for the prosperity of the people in this community and beyond”, she said.

The Minister said she was particularly delighted that the issue of access to large tracts of land for the development of sizeable commercial farms, usually a major constraint to commercial agriculture in Ghana, has been overcome in an admirable and creative manner.

“I must make a special mention of the increasingly pronounced cooperative spirit which has characterised the response of the chiefs and people of the area to the presence of GSR and its offshoot, the GSOPP. As the Minister who also has responsibility for Lands, I am encouraged by the negotiating processes which are guiding the gradual resolution of the issues relating to the Dumase settlement. I hope and pray that the collaboration between the Chiefs and people and the GSR will grow and find expression in other areas to benefit both sides.”

Hon Obeng Dapaah said the GSOPP initiative was a refreshing approach towards the engagement of the youth in the area in agriculture and in a manner which assures them of regular income, and was happy the project already employs about 450 young men and women drawn from the surrounding communities.


President and CEO of Golden Star Resources, Mr. Tom Mair, said when the company conceived of a project which would thrive in the Wassa community long after mining has come to an end, the company decided on agricultural project which would involve as many of the community members as possible.

“Having discussed our vision with Nananom and community leaders, we were encouraged with the immediate acceptance of it, and, we were blessed with the manner in which Nananom, the paramount chiefs of both Wassa Fiase and Wassa Amenfi, Nana Kwasi Appiah, Nana Damoah II of Mamponso Traditional Area and the host of family heads came together to release land for the project. At this juncture therefore, I wish to pay public tribute to their foresight, determination and public spiritedness without which we could not have come so far.

“Secondly, Nananom permit me to stress that we in GSR believe in supporting sustainable projects in our catchment communities which would provide an effective and imaginative response to the problem of unemployment. We noted in the process that unemployment and poverty were the key factors that attracted and still attract many of the community members into the ‘galamsey ‘ lifestyle. We therefore concluded that by providing safer and more permanent jobs, we could gradually wean the youth in our areas of operation from the unpleasant and deleterious effects of galamsey”, he said.

According to Mr. Tom Mair, in GSOPP, Golden Star Resources was sending “a viable message to the youth of Ghana that there are realistic and much safer means whereby they could be assured of an immediate income while they wait for the fruiting stage and an even more secure future as they begin the regular harvesting of their fruits.”

He assured that those involved in the process would be assisted through a viable extension service system to improve on their past agricultural practices.

He congratulated the 69 farmers for their achievement and advised them to take good care of their plots and to continue sound farming practices. “I also wish to implore them to discharge their obligations under the GSOPP arrangement to ensure the sustainability and survival of the project.”

Source: (C)2008 MYJOYONLINE