Opportunity International engages smallholder farmers

Opportunity International Savings and Loans (OISL) has organized clients’ forum for over 400 smallholder farmers in Tamale, Kintampo, Techiman and Wenchi.

The forum which forms part of the company’s objectives to help impact agriculture in the country was organised to examine the impact of OISL’s services to smallholder farmers, educate them, and help find solutions to challenges facing their agricultural businesses.

Speaking at the event, Isaac Gyesi, Head of Agric business at Opportunity International said OISL has realized how difficult it is for some farmers to visit the organisation’s branches for products and services, explaining the situation led to the introduction of the cell phone banking solution (called Opportunity Mobile).

“We know some of you are far from our physical branches but with Opportunity Mobile solution, you can still do basic banking transactions on your phone without coming to us physically”, he said.

Mr. Gyesi said OISL considers that robust economic growth cannot be achieved without putting in place well focused agriculture financing programmes.

This, he said, will help reduce poverty through agriculture for the economically active poor by increasing their access to credit.

Mrs. Vivian Akofa Mottey, the Head of Transformation at Opportunity International taught the farmers the importance of savings, their rights and responsibilities as clients and advised the farmers to ensure that they use their loans to expand their businesses and pay back the loan on time so they can continue to enjoy the good services and support from Opportunity International Savings and Loans.

The smallholder farmers expressed appreciation to OISL for all the support especially the GAP training and the financial literacy conducted for them in 2016 calendar year.

The forum was sponsored by the UK Aid which has provided financial assistance to Opportunity International Savings and Loans for organising Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) training, financial education and gender awareness for their customers in the Brong Ahafo and the three northern regions.