Women’s groups receive new training in rice farming
Three women’s groups working with the Bontanga Irrigation Scheme in the Kumbungu District in the Northern Region have received hands-on training in new rice farming technologies.
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The technologies, which include row transplanting, weeds control and application of fertiliser on rice farm, are to serve as alternative livelihood skill to empower the women, drawn from the Saakoba Gbugli, Kukuo and Yipelgu communities, to also educate others on the need to adapt to the new technology to improve yields and earn extra income to reduce poverty.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through its flagship project called the Agriculture Technology Transfer (ATT), has partnered the Bontanga Irrigation Scheme and Ganorma Agro Chemical limited to promote the new agricultural technologies in the Northern Region.
Speaking at a short ceremony to inaugurate the group, Dr Bidjokazo Fofana, Urea Deep-Placement (UDP) Regional Coordinator, North West Africa Division of the International Fertiliser Development Centre (IFDC), said the country was lagging behind in adopting modern technologies.
Implementation
“This has been successfully implemented in 15 West African states and farmers are recording increase yields. Burkina Faso is ahead of Ghana because farmers there have changed their method of farming and I believe this country can also reap the benefit of technology if they adopt the technology,” he stressed.
Dr Fofana explained that both studies and practical work had proven that the technology reduced cost of fertiliser; it was environmentally friendly and controls led weeds.
The Project Manager of the Bontanga Irrigation Project, Mr Stephen Adegle, said the project promised to address some of the key constraints of small-holder farmers so as to improve agricultural productivity and growth.
He noted that despite the advent of climate change and its effects, including low rains, they could increase yield if they applied the fertilisers well.
Dalung Lana, Alhaji Mahama Amidu, encouraged the farmers to introduce other farmers to the benefits of using UDP technology and line transplanting for rice production.
Challenges of farmers
He observed that one of the challenges of the farmers in the area was the application of fertiliser to their farms, and that the training had helped to make the work easier.
Mr Musah Salifu Taylor, Organisational Development Advisor of USAID-ATT, said the project would continue to find novel farming technologies to help improve the productivity and quality of production in rice, maize and soya, which is an integral part of the country’s growth strategy.