The West Mamprusi Municipal Department of Agriculture says it is committed to increasing the number of women, youth and persons with disability (PWDs) benefiting from the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ) by 10 per cent by next year.
The Municipal Director of Agriculture, Mr Mathew Adua, said this formed part of the department’s action plan to increase food production and income for women, youth and PWDs in the area.
Mr Adua was speaking at a workshop at Kukua, a community in the West Mamprusi municipality of the North East Region to validate research findings on the PFJ as part of the “Advocacy for support for agricultural value chain in the Northern Region project”.
It is being undertaken by Peace for Life Ghana (PLG), a non-governmental organisation (NGO), with support from the Business Sector Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund.
Research
The PLG conducted the research in the municipality in February this year to gauge farmers’ awareness of the PFJ, whether or not they benefited from it or knew about its gender component.
The research showed that vulnerable groups, including PWDs, women and youth who could also engage in agriculture, had not been properly mainstreamed into the PFJ.
Figures from the Municipal Department of Agriculture showed that out of 2,165 farmers who received certified seeds under the PFJ, only 491 were females, while out of 4,441 who received fertilisers, only 357 were females.
Mr Adua said the PFJ had boosted food production, leading to low prices of farm produce, and indicated that conscious efforts would be made to increase the number of women, youth and PWD beneficiaries who formed the core of farm labour to further boost production.
Advice
Mr Adua advised farmers to explore the agricultural value chain and take advantage to increase production and incomes.
He assured them that efforts were being made to establish an agricultural mechanisation and service centre in the municipality to help address tractor service needs.
A groundnut and maize farmer, Ms Mary Kalori, said many women could not cultivate their fields due to lack of funds; and appealed to the government to support them with loans to pay back after harvest.
The President of the College for Community and Organisational Development, Dr Gabriel Benarkuu, who is a consultant on the project, advised farmers in the area to regularly visit the Department of Agriculture to seek solutions to their challenges to help to improve their productivity and incomes.
The Executive Director of PLG, Mr Mutawakilu Alhassan, expressed satisfaction about the advocacy activities in the area, which, he said, had helped to improve farmers’ knowledge of the PFJ. — GNA
