NGO ORGANISES FIELD DAY FOR FARMERS (PAGE 36)

CITIZENS Network for Foreign Affairs (CNFA), an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) operating in Ghana, has organised agro dealer field days in five districts of the Ashanti Region to introduce farmers and agro chemical dealers to the effective application of the chemicals to boost production.
About 850 farmers and agrochemical dealers in the Amansie West, Atwima Nwabiagya, Offinso Municipality, Ejura-Sekyedumase and Sekyere West districts benefited from the programme.
At the various field days at Bekwai, Krobo, Offinso, Ejura and Nkawie, the participants were taken through effective sales and practical application of agro-chemicals.
Besides, lectures on technical information on maize varieties and the West Africa Seed Alliance (WASA) project, among others, were organised for the participants.
The field day programme was aimed at bringing players in the agricultural value chain in the districts including farmers, rural agro input dealers and agricultural extension officers to interact with major input dealers as a way of ensuring effective application of the chemicals.
Generally, the programme seeks to expose farmers to new maize varieties and educate them on how to adopt effective agronomic practices in their farming activities to improve productivity.
It also creates a platform to establish linkages between players in the agricultural value chain to enhance the use of agro inputs and adopt best practices.
Furthermore, the programme seeks to deepen the knowledge and practices of farmers in the use of agro inputs in their farming activities.
The Agribusiness and Finance Manager of CNFA/WASA, Mr Francis Konu, said at the end of the exercise that they expected the programme to lead to increased agro dealer network and improve agriculture input markets in the districts to enhance affordable, timely and reliable access to high quality seeds and other agro inputs.
He said it was also expected to enhance technical transfer to smallholder farmers and rural agro dealers,which would lead to improved incomes of farmers as a result of increased productivity.
Mr Konu, who addressed the participants at separate ceremonies, said the goal of WASA was to establish a sustainable commercial seed industry as a means of increasing agricultural production in Ghana.
He noted that the global food crisis, which affected Ghana was unjustified because the country had all the potential to be selfsufficient in food production.
Mr Konu advised agro dealers who benefit from the programme to educate the farmers who purchase products from them.
A Senior Research Officer at the Crops Research Institute, Dr Obeng Antwi, advised farmers to adapt to changes in farming methods.
He dismissed stories that yellow maize could not be grown in the
country, stressing that there was no need to import the cereal into the country.