Ashanti Agric Department, New Okaff sensitise farmers on organic fertilisers

The Ashanti Regional Department of Food and Agriculture in collaboration with New Okaff Industries Limited has sensitised farmers in the 43 districts of the region on ‘The Use of Organic Fertilizers’.

The sensitisation project, under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s (MOFA) mission of ‘Ghana Goes Organic’ started last month.

The main aim of Ashanti’s Agric Department is to teach farmers the use and application of organic liquid fertiliser and insecticides such as AF Confidence Insecticide and AF Organic Fertiliser, manufactured by New Okaff Industries Limited.

A lot of farmers in the country, specifically in the Ashanti Region have bitterly complained about the negative effects inorganic fertilisers and insecticides have had on their farms in recent years.

Agric Extension Officer of Ashanti Agric Department, Okuani Osei Bonsu in an interview with the press said his outfit contacted the New Okaff and researched AF Confidence Insecticide and AF Organic Liquid Fertilizer after farmer’s complaints. They realised the application of the two agrochemicals on farms would help farmers to have good yields.

As a result, once MOFA is embarking on ‘Ghana Goes Organic’ project, the Ashanti Agric department needed to organise a sensitisation programme for farmers in the 43 districts of the region in order for them to know; how to apply organic fertilizers on their farms as well as understand their adverse benefits.

“After we conducted our research, we found out that, New Okaff Industries liquid fertilizer is the best for farmers. So we have collaborated with New Okaff to demonstrate their Organic Fertilizer to farmers in the 43 districts in the Ashanti Region.” The Agric Extension Officer disclosed.

Earlier in April, the Ashanti Agric department in collaboration with New Okaff Industries embarked on the distribution of inputs in 43 districts in Ashanti. Farmers were given inputs to get on the demonstration of AF Confidence Insecticide and AF Organic Fertiliser.

At Gyinyase Ramseyer Vocational Institute on May 25, 2023, a delegation of the New Okaff Industries Limited led by Adomako Boamah, Commercial Director in conjunction with a delegation of Ashanti Agric Department, led by Okuani Osei Bonsu and Madam Lois, on what is called ‘First Field Day’ for farmers, more than 40 farmers in the Asokwa district were educated on how to use organic fertiliser and insecticides.

The New Okaff Commercial Director, Adomako Boamah, subsequently said, “The acidic content in a lot of inorganic Fertilizers is too high. It degrades farmlands. Some inorganic agrochemicals go to the extent of destroying crops. Also, their prices are very high but our Organic Fertilizers and insecticides (Af Confidence & AF Organic Fertilizer) rather maintain crops, leading to an abundance of yields. They are affordable as well.”

The farmers expressed that, the new farming methods of organic agrochemicals will extremely help to fetch them more yields.