Farmers told to reduce aflatoxin in grains

Mr Felix Darimaani, National Coordinator for Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP) has urged farmers to adopt standard procedure in producing quality grains that are free from aflatoxin.

This, he, said would enable them to increase the market value of their produce.

He said aflatoxins are metabolic and toxic substances produced by certain fungi that are found in foods including grains.

He said aflatoxin could results in many health problems including liver infections and could also cause cancers.

Mr Darimaani was addressing some farmers on Friday at Gushie in the Savelugu/Nanton Municipality in the Northern Region, to sensitise farmers on the best method they could use in producing quality grains.

The training was part of partnership programme that the NRGP has entered into with Nestle Ghana Limited to ensure that farmers in the Northern, Upper East, Upper West and parts of Brong Ahafo regions are able to sell their grains to Nestle Ghana at a competitive pricing.

NRGP is funded by the African Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development to develop rural farmers’ capacity to increase their yields and get access to market through the value-chain approach.

Mr Darimaani said, through the partnership which started in 2011, 48,158 farmers have so far been trained to produce quality grains and have been selling their produce to Nestle Ghana to produce variety of their products.

He said the NRGP and Nestle Ghana have a symbiotic relationship where farmers stand to benefit the most noting that the prices offered to farmers by Nestle is very good and urged more farmers to meet the standard required.

He indicated that staff of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture assisted in training the farmers at the community level in collaboration with NRGP and aggregators measure the quality standards to ensure that the products meet Nestlé’s specifications.

Mr Klutse Kudomor, Procurement and Agricultural Manager for Nestle Central and West Africa said the organisation believes in creating value in society through good nutrition, water and rural development.

He said Nestle has been buying 1000 metric tons of maize annually from Ghanaian farmers and 300 metric tons of millet and would increase the quantum by 15 per cent every year.

Mr Klutse said the organisation has decided to purchase their produce from the local communities in Ghana because it wants to increase local content and give value to consumers who include the farmers who produce the grains for the products.