SADA to engage 10,000 farmers annually in commercial farming

The Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) is to engage 10,000 household farmers annually to benefit from technical and human resource skills in marketing based out-grower system, for agricultural development for the next 20 years to transform the savannah ecological zone.

“After five years, the first 10,000 farmers would have graduated from the system and be autonomous of SADA...the system will peak at 50,000 households and be maintained at that level as 10,000 graduate each year out of the system and 10,000 new households are admitted”.

Dr. Charles Jebuni, Chief Technical Officer of the SADA said this on Thursday during the on-going three-day focus on agriculture conference and exhibition show in Tamale organized by the African Connections Ghana Limited

The conference has brought together farmers, agricultural experts and value chain organizations and individuals to brainstorm on practical means of transforming agriculture in the country so as to increase the incomes of smallholder farmers.

It was on the theme: “Market driven agriculture for accelerated rural economic development”.

According to Dr Jebuni, SADA will coordinate existing and future development and related policies affecting the Northern Savannah ecological zone with a view to ensuring coherence in policy-making and implementation.

He said modernization of agriculture would be achieved sequentially using initially the most abundant resources like sun-shine and water driven by the concept of ‘foresting’ and greening the north; stressing that inputs, plowing, technical and supervisory services would be provided.

Dr. Jebuni said to achieve the objectives, a five member Steering Coordinating Committee chaired by MoFA would be established to oversee the implementation of the agricultural programme.

Dr. Ayesha S. Hakeem, Managing Director of African Connections, said the organization is providing technical and advisory services for SADA and mentioned that input support, technical and extension services, supervisory and marketing services were being provided.

She said since June this year, when her outfit entered into agreement with SADA, they have supported 342 maize farmers and 57 farmer-based organizations in three districts namely; Pru, Sene and Atebubu-Amantin districts adding, 1,392 acres of land has been cultivated under the partnership.

“We will increase the competitiveness of farmers’ productivity towards world production levels by building their capacity to increase their yield by 30 per cent at the end of the 2012 farming season”, she said.