ADRA support 10,000 farmers to increase food security

Tamale, Dec. 20, GNA - The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA), a non-governmental organisation, is supporting 10,000 farmer- households to increase food security through increased agricultural production in seven districts of the Upper West and Northern Regions. The European Union (EU) is supporting the project dubbed: EC-ADRA Northern Ghana Food Security Resilience Project (NGFSRP) with 1.3 million Euros financial assistance.

The project, which spans 20 months, would support the beneficiaries to purchase seeds, fertilisers, agro-chemicals, land ploughing services as wel= l as the training of farmers. Mr Isaac Kankam-Boadu, Project Manager of NGFSRP made this known in Tamale on Monday, during a three-day training of trainers' workshop for agricultural technical officers in Northern Region.

A similar workshop was organised in Upper West Region. The beneficiary communities include Central Gonja, West Gonja , Bole, Sawla-Tuna-Kalba Districts in the Northern Region and Wa Municipal, Wa East= , and Nadowli Districts in the Upper West Region. Mr Kankam-Boadu said the workshop would build the capacity of participants through the strengthening and development of farmer associations and in the implementation of simple business plans. "After the training, the technical officers will conduct downstream training for farmers in the project communities," he stressed. Mr Kankam-Boadu said the assistance given to the farmers would be paid back in kind and to be stored in community warehouses and sold later at goo= d prices.

He said the proceeds would be used for the establishment of input revolving funds for farmers.

He said after the commencement of the project in January, 73,188 Kilograms (73.2 tonnes) of improved seeds of maize, groundnut and soybean and 21,849 bags of fertilisers had been distributed to the beneficiaries. Mr Kankam-Boadu said a total of 7887 acres of land had also been ploughed in more than 179 communities.

He said ADRA in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agricultur= e had organised intensive training programme for more than 8,500 farmers in crop production, harvesting and post-harvest handling technologies. He said the training would enable the farmers to produce more food, store and sell the surplus to generate income for their households. Mr Kankam-Boadu said the project was conceived as a result of the 2008 energy crises, which led to food price increases as well as the flood that hit the North.