Upper West women farmers to benefit from credit facilities

An advocacy organisation, House of Liberation for Empowerment (HOLIFE) has given the assurance that women farmers in Upper West will receive credit facilities for farming if they form identifiable groups and acquire farmlands.

The women and children oriented advocacy organisation has since 2003 been supporting women interested in agriculture and were able to acquire lands in the region for farming activities.

It has also been providing soft loans to businesswomen and skills training for disadvantaged girls as well as sensitising women on appropriate family planning methods and good nutrition.

Ms Evelyn Dibaar, the Executive Director of HOLIFE, was speaking with the Ghana News Agency on the sidelines of a stakeholder engagement in Wa to chart a favourable path for women to acquire and own farmlands.

The organization assisted several women groups in Wa West and Wa East districts to acquire farmlands for production over the years.

Ms Dibaar noted that women were economically productive but lack of access to productive farmlands hindered their capacity and efficiency in the field of agriculture.

The organisation has been lobbying landlords, chiefs and duty-bearers to release fertile farmlands to women desirous of venturing into agricultural production.

“We believe that when women are given lands to farm and get the support to purchase fertile lands and get tractors to till the land, they can equally support the economy of the country,” Ms Dibaar said.

Women were encouraged to acquire lands and register with the organisation to qualify them to access the credit facilities and also benefit sensitisation programmes offered to women groups.

Dr John Akparep, BUSAC Fund Consultant, re-emphasised the need for women to have access to productive farmlands for cultivation, saying if women had equal access to farmlands like men, there would be food security in the country.

He said studies had shown that women were interested in agriculture and needed fertile lands to engage in farming activities to improve their economic status and national development.

Mr Robert Ayamga, the Head of Land Valuation Division at the Upper West Regional Lands Commission urged women to register lands acquired in order to guarantee sustainable farming activities.

The Lands Commission had planned to decentralise its operations to the district levels, but he said it was constrained by inadequate staff.