, the Abetifi Member of Parliament (MP) and the Minister for Agriculture has assured farmers in Kwahu Nkwatia that their lands have not been seized in the rollout of a land development programme to support large-scale commercial farming in the area. The Minister said the GHS40m land development programme is aimed at developing large-scale agricultural lands and providing essential inputs such as improved seeds and fertilisers to farmers in some parts of the country to improve their incomes and ensure food security. During a meeting organised by the farmers, with the Agriculture Minister, Chiefs, and elders, Mr Acheampong dismissed allegations that the Government had seized the lands of farmers without due process and clarified that the land development programme was not compulsory. He said although many farmers had expressed interest in the programme, those who were not interested in the initiative would be excluded from the development and their lands would be bypassed. "The manner in which we undertake farming using traditional methods does not create wealth for farmers because they do not have the capacity to cultivate larger farms. The Government is therefore undertaking the land development initiative to enable farmers to move away from the current practice and increase their productivity," the Minister explained.