AGRA empowers 30,000 smallholder farmers

The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) has supported about 30,000 smallholder farmers in three districts in the Volta Region to boost productivity and income under the first phase of its Integrated Soil Fertility Management Project.

The US$540,000 project involved the setting up of model farmlands that combine the use of improved seeds and fertilisers, effective application of organic matter coupled with best farm practices, as a case for land optimisation for better farm-yields in the interest of food security.

The three-year project, which was carried out in the Jasikan, Kadjebi and Hohoe districts from 2011 to 2014, helped to push the maize output of beneficiary farmers -- from between 1.1 tonnes to 1.5 tonnes per hectare before the start of the project to between 2.5 tonnes to 3.5 tonnes per hectare as at the end.

Through the project, three One Stop Centres -- an agricultural supermarket -- were established in the beneficiary districts to train smallholder farmers and agro-agents, increase farmers’ access to improved seeds as well as fertilisers and other farm inputs and also offer real-time extension services to the farmers.

AGRA’s Country Head, Dr. Kwasi Ampofo, told the B&FT in an interview that the programme was a huge success as it achieved its expected targets and impact.

He said: “The broader aim of this project was to intensify food production, and so far yields have doubled in the pilot communities.

“Also, hitherto, the farmers in these areas where practicing shifting cultivation, which was a threat to forest conservation. Through this project, farmers can now till the same piece of land for years and still get high yields without moving from land to land.”

Dr. Ampofo said the improved seeds used for the project were specially bred and give high yields that are tolerant of diseases and bad weather.

The project is a major boost to the country’s dominant economic sector as it is currently creating more than 5,000 jobs for agro-agents and aggregators, helping smallholder farmers to diversify their portfolio, increase farm-yields, and also boost the income levels of beneficiaries to make them economically independent.

Programme Officer, Research and Extension for AGRA, Zacharie Zida, indicated that the success of the pilot exercise, especially the setting up of the ‘One Stop Centres’ was ‘good news’ for agricultural practice in the country.

“The One Stop Centre is unique because it provides a warehouse for the farmers to store their farm produce, access farm inputs and basic training in best farming practices. Hopefully, banks will come to understand the viability of the system and grant loans to the smallholder farmers.

“This is a concept model that AGRA is demonstrating for beneficiary farmers to share their experience with colleague smallholder farmers in the region. With the success of the pilot exercise farmers can now set up similar facilities with private partners,” he said.

Emmanuel Dzameshie, Agricultural Technician for Africare Ghana -- implementer of the project -- said success of the exercise was reflected in the economic lives of the beneficiary farmers.

He shared: “In some communities that we visited, the farmer-based organisations indicated to us that they had been able to acquire certain household appliances as a result of the increase in their farm yields and income”.

Ignatius Quarshie, a beneficiary farmer and chairman of the Lelabi Farmers Group from Likpe Avedzeme -- and who owns two acres of maize farm and eight acres of rice farm -- narrated to the B&FT how the project has impacted his farm output and income generation.

“Formerly I was engaged in the slash and burn method of farming, but now I have stopped; that was more tedious and yet yields were low. With the help of the AGRA project, my family is happy because I put in little effort but I harvest more yield.

“Previously, I used to get two bags of rice and maize respectively from my farms and sold them for GHø180 and GHø200 respectively; but with this project, I can harvest nine bags of maize on a one-acre farm and 72 bags of rice on a five-acre farm.”

The same was the case of Madam Agatha Bonsu, Treasurer of the Nyame Adom Farmers Group from the Kadjebi district who indicated that the project has brought cohesion among smallholder farmers in the area in terms of support for each other’s farming activities.

She said: “The project has reduced the number of lands I used to cultivate, but I still get more yields which my family depend on and even sell for income. I’m supporting the education of my three children through farming.

“AGRA and Africare should continue supporting us by teaching us the best farming practices that will empower our lives and make us rich.”