The importance of the government’s determination to give the agriculture sector top priority and foster an atmosphere that would promote its development has been emphasized by Mr. Jeroen Verheul, the Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana.
Ambassador Verheul emphasized that Ghana’s economy is based mostly on agriculture, with farmers making up a significant portion of the labor force. He highlighted that the government must give the agriculture sector the utmost attention because of its substantial impact on livelihoods and the local and national economy.He applauded the government’s successful rollout of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PfFJs) program’s second phase, praising it as an admirable endeavor to advance the nation’s agricultural industry.
During a press conference after the opening of a knowledge transfer and learning site for farmers in Abesim, close to Sunyani, Ambassador Verheul made these comments. The East West Seed Foundation, a non-profit organization connected to East West Seeds (EWS) International, a major hybrid seed manufacturer with its headquarters in Thailand, launched this website. Its objective is to promote knowledge exchange so that local farmers can use optimal agricultural practices. The website offers farmers the chance to improve their skills and expertise by adopting straightforward, environmentally friendly approaches, such as mulching with natural materials found nearby, such as cocoa leaves, rice straw, dried grass, and corn husks, to increase crop yields.
A variety of vegetables were grown there as demonstration crops, including onions (Prema), cabbage (Nuzaka F1), cucumbers (Nandini), sweet corn (Sugar King F1), tomatoes (Padma F1), egg plants (Kibibi F1), and hot peppers (Efia F1).
Farmers from the Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo Regions as well as a select group of farmers from other regions of the nation attended the event. While praising the farmers’ current skills and methods for growing vegetables, Ambassador Verheul stressed the significance of exposing them to fresh perspectives. He thought that exposure would increase their knowledge, allowing them to grow crops of higher quality for the market and enhancing food security.
The hire of additional extension personnel and the creation of more demonstration plots for farmers to study and use cutting-edge methods developed by the East West Foundation were made possible thanks to the financial support the Dutch government was giving to the learning sites, he said. The importance of information transfer was stressed by Ambassador Verheul, who also noted that this project sought to help the Dutch economy flourish in addition to the Ghanaian economy.
The Business Development Manager of EWS International, Mr. Coen Everts, outlined the organization’s mission as being to enhance the lives of smallholder farmers by providing them with the information and tools necessary to increase agricultural production and yields.
Participant and farmer Mr. Samuel Atitsogbe expressed pleasure with the methods taught by the knowledge transfer program. He emphasized the cutting-edge methods for planting seeds and preparing beds, which he thought would greatly advance farming practices and increase farmer profitability over long-standing customs.
Source : GBN