The Ashanti Regional Directorate of the Food and Agriculture has intensified its monitoring activities to check the sources of water used for irrigation by vegetable farmers.
This follows recent reports that some of the farmers sourced polluted water from the Subin Stream to irrigate vegetable production.
Peri-urban vegetable farmers at Gyinyase in the Asokwa Municipality of Ashanti region grow beetroot, lettuce, spring onions, cabbage, and carrots.
They produce large-scale to supply the open market, supermarkets, hotels, and retailers.
However, the farmers here are recorded a slump in sales following recent reports that vegetable farmers in parts of the Kumasi metropolis use polluted water from the Subin stream to irrigate their produce.
Chairman of the Peace and Love Vegetable Farmers Group, John Yeboah, laments some retailers have stopped patronizing their produce.
He noted the Gyinyase vegetable farmers have a dugout well and irrigation ponds where water is sourced.
Ashanti Regional Director of Agric, Rev John Manu told TV3 News a committee has been constituted to assess the water quality used in vegetable irrigation.
He explained initial investigations revealed the Subin Stream has no tributary within the Gyinyase catchment.
The directorate is also yet to confirm reports of using polluted water from the liquid waste of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital to irrigate vegetables.
The Conference of Regional Directors of Agric visited the Gyinyase vegetable farms to ascertain the source of water used for irrigation.
Dean of the Conference, Henry Crentsil observed such negative reports have the potential to affect vegetable exports and the fortunes of the farmers.
The sixteen regional directors of agriculture were impressed with the watering system employed by the peri-urban vegetable farmers.
