Rice and maize farmers in five districts of the Volta Region have noted that the collaboration between the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and Green Shield Agro Chemicals contributed to the increased yields on their farms last year.
They have, therefore, expressed the hope that the programme would be extended to farmers in other districts.
According to Mr Oscar Tetteh of Ve-Gbodome in the Hohoe municipality, with their support, he was able to harvest over 150 maxi bags of rice paddy from his five acre farm.
About 60 per cent of the population in the five districts of Hohoe, Jasikan, Kadjebi, Nkwanta North and South engage in small scale farming but many of them have no access to markets.
This came out at a day’s trainers of trainers workshop at Hohoe held for MoFA Extension Officers, agro-chemical dealers and farmers to educate them on the proper use of chemicals to increase their yield.
Last year, MoFA in collaboration with the Green Shield and Yara Ghana, a subsidiary of Yara International, co-operated by supporting the farmers with inputs like fertilisers, insecticides, and improved seeds. The cost of the inputs and service was deducted from their earnings after the farming season.
In his opening address, the Operations Manager of Green Shield company, Efo Kumah Ameyibor, said last year, 15 groups of about 30 farmers who cultivated maize and rice benefitted from the support.
This year, he said, an aggressive campaign would be mounted to reach the hinterlands to interact with more farmers in order to introduce them to how to increase production.
He said proper incentives should exist for such farmers to produce more.
He attributed the low productivity to lack of education and adherence to traditions, and that the success in achieving a satisfactory rate of agricultural growth hinged on the willingness of the farmers to adopt both new production and marketing techniques.
Efo Ameyibor said with the proper use of the right inputs, the present situation where an acre of cultivated land yielded six to eight bags would increase to between 12 to 16 bags.
He said this year, they had decided to involve the MoFA extension efficers who would visit the farmers on their farms to ascertain whether they were using the right inputs.
The Hohoe Municipal Director of the MoFA, Mr Geoffery Honu, told the farmers to increase their production this major season since a maize drier had been installed in Hohoe to meet their drying needs.
He gave the assurance that cassava farmers would also benefit from the dryer.
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