Rice farmers in the Volta region have expressed optimism for the major season after receiving support through the Nserewa scheme.
The about 300 farmers, majority women, who are currently working on 1200 acres in Asutuare, Weta, Kpoglo and Golokuati received the complete set of inputs for the season consisting of seed, fertilizer, crop protection and technical support through funding from the Nserewa crowd-farming scheme.
The 1200-acre project is being executed by the Chi-Gaba Outgrower Support Scheme and is expected to change the lives of beneficiary farmers, produce over 2,000 tonnes of rice and create value for sponsors.
Speaking at a stakeholder engagement, the rice farmers expressed their joy with the outcomes so far.
“When the season was about to begin, we were not sure how we were going to farm this year because prices of all the inputs had gone up. I was not sure of how I could buy input especially fertilizer. But Chi-Gaba came in with help, and provided all the inputs, training and technical support we needed to get started. Now I’m happy whenever I see the fields and the rice growing,” a beneficiary farmer – Enyonam – said at the meeting.
Another farmer, Auntie Aku, said the support received this year has given them a lifeline and promised on behalf of the farmers to work diligently to deliver the results.
“Chi-Gaba has been a good pillar of support for us. But for them, someone like me would not have any means of farming this year. Imagine how difficult life would be for me and my family. My farm is doing well and the quality fertilizers we got are working. Now we will continue to take good care of the fields to ensure the harvest is good,” she said.
The Project Technical Lead for the Nserewa Rice Project, Eugene Zori, assured the farmers of continuous support and an expansion of the scheme in the upcoming seasons. He advised the farmers to be diligent and follow all the protocols to get the right yields.
Chi-Gaba is an outgrower support scheme run by Newage Agric Solutions Limited. Chi-Gaba ensures that farmers are provided with the necessary input and technical assistance for the farming season. After harvest, farmers pay back for the inputs in the form produce.
Currently, Chi Gaba is working with about 10,000 farmers on rice, maize and soya production around Ghana.
Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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THIS MAN IS A JOKER, COME TO AUSTRALIA AGRONOMIST HAVE HIGHLY MECHANIZED FARMS NOT POLITICIAN. THIS GUY CANNOT EVEN MANAGE HIS MINISTRY LET ALONE THE COUNTRY REAL JOKER. SHAME TO HIM ALL THE MONEY FROM OIL INTO THE MINISTRY FOR MECHANIZATION , IRRIGATION OF AGRICULTURE IS NOT DONE WE STILL THROWING MONEY TO PEASANT FARMING WHERE AS CHINA FEED IT 1.4 BILLION POPULATION WITH MECHANISATION, COMMERCIAL FARMING OF AGRICULTURE AND EVEN EXPORT THE REST OF IT TO EARN FOREIGN EXCHANGE WHILE GHANA CANNOT FEED 30 MILLION POPULATION ARE WE SERIOUS AS A NATION WITH ***barred word*** LEADERS SUCH AS AFRIYIE AKOTO WHO CAN TALK TOO MUCH AND DO LITTLE WE ARE DOOM AS A NATION. THIS MAN CAN SPEAK LIKE A PARROT BUT DELIVER VERY LITTLE THAT IS WHAT GHANA NEED. IF WE IMPORT RICE FROM CHINA, VIETNAM, THAILAND ETC WE SHOULD BE ASHAME OF OURSELVES THE SITUATION WE FIND OURSELF. IS SICK TO EVEN BE PROUD OF THIS ACHIEVEMENT VERY SHAMEFUL.
Strong Tunisian wheat crop ‘to curb import needs’, says ag minister Tunisian wheat production will recover even further than expected this year, the country’s farm minister said, reducing the potential for exports, which US officials have forecast hitting a 10-year high. The farm ministry for the North African country, a notable wheat importer, said that its grains harvest would hit 1.78m tonnes this year, a jump of 500,000 tonnes year on year. This total includes 1.22m tonnes of wheat – all but 120,000 tonnes representing durum rather than soft wheat – as well as 500,000 tonnes of barley. “The grain’s harvest will be good this season,” said Samir Bettaib, the Tunisian agriculture minister. ‘Unfavourable temperatures’ Mr Bettaib added that the stronger production would allow the country to “reduce our imports” – in contrast to forecasts earlier this week from the US Department of Agriculture which, in its first official estimates for 2017-18, pegged Tunisian wheat purchases in 2017-18 at 2.0m tonnes. The forecast increase, which the USDA said was needed to “meet demand and to rebuild stocks”, would represent a rise of 200,000 tonnes year on year, and be the highest figure in a decade. And it reflected less upbeat expectations for wheat production, at 1.2m tonnes. Although the USDA did not detail the thinking behind its output forecast, the department’s Tunis bureau in a report last month flagged some weather setbacks to crops. “Grain and feed crops benefited from favourable conditions during the seeding period (mid-October to mid-December) and into the early growing season, but became hampered in March by unfavourable temperatures and [a lack of] rainfall,” the bureau said. Key suppliers Tunisia is a junior member of the club of Middle Eastern and North African grain importers, which also include Egypt, the world’s biggest buyer, Saudi Arabia and Morocco. Tunisia sources most of its imported supplies, which are mainly soft wheat rather than durum, from the Ukraine, Italy, and Canada, with some from Romania, Russia and the UK too. France is another notable origin, although thanks to the country’s poor harvest last year, its exports to Tunisia for the first nine months of 2016-17, to March, fell 54% to 50,223 tonnes.
The Agric ministry led by Hon. Dr. Akoto is doing a good job and the country and he must be applauded for his efforts. This is one of the evidences to show the pfj is a success and we must all put our hands on deck to help the project work. Thank you Dr. Akoto
The ministry of agricultural led by Dr Akoto am sure will help these farmers for a successful rice season.
This a good and a nice assistance. The agricultural minister is empowering companies to doing better for farmers. All thanks to the minister for food and agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto.