Commemoration of World Rural Women’s Day:Women farmers, processors appeal for support
Women farmers and food processors have appealed to the government to support them with the necessary inputs, including premix fuel to enable them to expand on their activities.
They made the appeal at this year's World Rural Women’s Day celebration at Asuboi in the Ayensuano District in the Eastern Region.
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The event was on the theme: "Rural women using technology to provide good food for all".
In attendance were women crop and fish farmers and processors from Bortiano, Sege, Kokrobite, Chorkor, Amasaman and Old Ningo, all in the Greater Accra Region; Apam, Winneba in the Central Region, and Afram Plains and Asuboi in the Eastern Region.
High cost
A farmer, Emelia Larbi, said the cost of farm inputs, especially weedicides, had gone high such that they could not afford.
For instance, a tin of weedicide, which used to cost GH¢15 two years ago, was now selling at GH¢55, she said.
“As a result, we are not able to purchase the weedicides to spray large areas of our farms,” Ms Larbi added.
She further claimed that due to the prevailing situation with its resultant hardships, some of their children were now migrating to urban centres and cities to look for non-existing jobs.
A fish farmer from Kokrobite in the Greater Accra Region, Grace Armah, also said premix fuel had become more expensive, and alleged that the fuel was being supplied on partisan basis favouring only members of a particular group of people.
Another farmer, Victoria Avornyo, said their farming businesses were gradually collapsing due to the high cost of farm inputs and, therefore, called on the government to, as a matter of urgency, do something about it.
The Eastern Regional Director of Agriculture, Henry Crentsil, said policies and initiatives in the sector were intended to support farmers improve on their livelihoods.
He said agriculture was a key driver of the nation’s economic growth and poverty reduction of which women played an essential role.
Mr Crentsil, therefore, applauded women for the significant impact they were making in the agricultural value chain from production to consumption.
He urged chiefs to make more land available for farming purposes rather than selling it out to illegal miners to degrade the land for their selfish interest.
The Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Shlomit Sufa, said women in rural areas played significant role in their families’ welfare and the development of the country.
She said it was in recognition of the hard work of women and their contribution to the growth of the country that the Israel government decided to partner key stakeholders to celebrate them.
An officer of Development Action Association (DAA), an NGO, Madam Sufa, said her outfit was a network of farmer-based organisations focused on improving the livelihood of members through capacity building.
Commendation
The Akyidomhene of Asuboi, Nana Ohene Kwadwo II, Nana Ahyia Boateng, commended the Israeli ambassador, Shlomit Sufa, and the German Development Agency (GIZ) for their support, especially for assisting women in cassava production, as well as the setting up of a gari processing factory at Asuboi.
There was an exhibition of foodstuffs and vegetables such as plantain, tomatoes, onions, pepper, okro, sugarcane, cassava
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