Company trains school children in school gardening

The Transforming Rural Agricultural Communities through Organic Re-engineering (TRACTOR) programme being run by B-BOVID, an agro-business in the Western Region, has schooled 400 school children on school gardening to whip up interest in farming.

The 400 school children, selected from 10 schools in the Ahanta West District, are being re-introduced to this farming concept to enable them to appreciate agriculture and chose it as a profession or side job in future.

Mr. Issa Ouedraogo, Founder of B-BOVID and Manager of TRACTOR, told the Ghana News Agency that involving the youth in agricultural development and dissuading their mind that farming was a punishment was fundamental to achieving food security.

The "Youth School Garden and Sustainable Agriculture’ project, is a year project being funded by the Australian High Commission under its Direct Aid Programme to help the youths to consider agriculture as a viable and attractive career path.

Mr. Ouedraogo said the concept came in three fold, the classroom introductions and acquisition of half an acre land for vegetable cultivation at the selected schools to nurture and translate theory into practical.

Ms. Akua Afriyie Fosu Obeng, the District Agricultural Development Officer, described the project as a good one to increase youth’s participation in agriculture.

She said, “It a huge step taken by TRACTOR to develop the agric sector. How I wish such a projects could be implemented in all ten regions of the country”.

Mr. Collins Antwi, District Agric Coordinator, said the successful implementation of this project could help the school feeding programme where various schools could access foodstuffs directly from their farms.

He said he was worried that agriculture was no longer a subject on its own and called for its decoupling from integrated science.

Gabriel Koomson of Beahu DA Junior High School, said his mindset had been changed with the knowledge acquired at the centre adding, “I now see agriculture not as the poor man’s job but a professional business that I can do after school”.

He said proper agricultural practices could help preserve the environment, earn the country some foreign exchange as well as ensuring food security.

A teacher from the Beahu DA Junior High School (JHS) in the Ahanta West District, Ms. Lydia Amoako, lauded the concept and its impacts on the school children.

She said agriculture had the potential to grow communities and the nation at large.