By Solomon Gumah
Fihini (N/R), Nov 19, GNA – Some smallholder farmers at Fihini in the Tolon District of the Northern Region say they are ready to adopt the Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) technologies being piloted in the area to promote sustainable farming practices and food security.
The ISFM technologies demonstration is an initiative where improved and climate-smart groundnut variety such as the SARI Nut 2 is being tested with different mineral fertilizer combination including 167kg ha-1, Yara legume, NPK 20- 30–20+08ZN kg ha-1, NPK4.
The farmers said such practices played a critical role in enhancing their resilience whilst addressing issues of low productivity, which they experienced due to poor soil fertility and poor soil health, which had been a major challenge confronting them in the area.
They were speaking during a day’s demonstration visit to a groundnut field at Fihini to assess the impact of the project on sustainable farming practices being carried out in the communities.
The field visit formed part of the implementation of a 20 month-long project dubbed: “Advancing Agriculture through Upscaling of Innovative Soil Health Technologies in Ghana.”
They project is being implemented by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) in partnership with CSIR-Soil Research Institute, Kumasi, AMYA Agro Plus at Wenchi in the Bono Region, and the District Departments of Agriculture in the implementing zones.
It is being funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the AGRA PIATA consortium and implemented in five Districts in the North East Region, four Districts each in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions.
The project seeks to create at least 200 jobs and reach out to an estimated 50,000 smallholder farmers with each cultivating an average of 12 acres of farmland for crops such as cowpea, maize, rice, soybean and groundnut.
The project is expected to train about 200 extension agents including Village-Based Agriculture Advisors (VBAs), 50 Scientists, 100 technicians on ISFM and good agricultural practices.
Mr. Ziblim Suale, a farmer at Fihini, who led in piloting the project in the area, expressed satisfaction at the level of yields recorded at the demonstration field.
He said it was the best approach to tackle unemployment in communities as well as reduce poverty, hunger and deprivation.
Mr. Abdul-Ganiyu Amidu, Agricultural Extension Officer for Fihini Operational Area said the farmers had demonstrated enough commitment to the project, which was a testament of their willingness to adopt the ISFM technologies into their farming practices.
He said even though some of the farmers, especially women and young people, were willing to embrace the new technology, it was important for government and other stakeholders to prioritise supporting them to enable them champion sustainable farming practices in the district.
Dr Edwin Akley, Project Coordinator/Manager, Advancing Agriculture through Upscaling of Innovative Soil Health Technologies in Ghana, CSIR-SARI, said the decline in soil fertility over the years had made it difficult for farmers to produce enough food for their families and the country, hence the project to increase nutrition and food security.
He said it was part of efforts to tackle other unsustainable agricultural practices that had led to the decline in soil fertility and other environmental challenges such as soil erosion, water pollution and deforestation.
He said the project was also tailored towards youth empowerment in the agricultural space and to enable them embrace farming as a lucrative business venture capable of addressing unemployment in communities.
GNA