By Gilbert Azeem Tiroog
Kparaboug (U/E), April 30, GNA – The Forum for Natural Regeneration (FONAR), an environmental-focused organisation, has organized a one-day training on use of agrochemicals for Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) lead farmers in the Nabdam District.
A total of 20 farmers, drawn from the Kparaboug and Dasang communities, suburb communities of the Sakoti community, were equipped with skills to safely handle and use agrochemicals, understand risks involved, and how to minimise them.
The training, organized under the FMNR for Women Empowerment and Livelihood Project (FMNR4WELIP) with funding from the Awaken Trees Foundation of Austria, aimed to equip the farmers with basic knowledge and skills to safely and responsibly handle and use agrochemicals.
It also sought to improve pesticide handling and application among the farmers, increase awareness of health and environmental risks, enhance personal hygiene and safety practices, while enabling them to adhere to safe storage and disposal, as well as national laws and regulations.
Mr Sumaila Saaka, Executive Director of FONAR, emphasized that while FMNR supported sustainable agriculture through improved soil health and biodiversity, excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers contributed to land degradation, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity.
This, he said, underscored the need for the farmers to be equipped on how to safely handle and use agrochemicals efficiently, while appreciating the fact that FMNR, as a low-cost land restoration technique, could enhance the effectiveness of agrochemicals and create more sustainable and productive agricultural systems.
He recounted that while standard practice required a ratio of one extension officer to 500 farmers, it was not the case in Ghana, as one extension officer was supervising about 2,000 as a result of limited extension officers, and charged the farmers to leverage the knowledge gained to increase food production while ensuring a safe environment.
Mr Emmanuel Akobta, the Nabdam District Agriculture Engineer and co-facilitator of the training, lauded FONAR for the initiative to build the capacity of farmers to improve soil health, biodiversity, and sustainability.
He noted that apart from the limited extension officers in the district, the agriculture department was also faced with the problem of logistics, hindering the work of extension officers, and the initiative by FONAR to equip the farmers was commendable.
“Aside FONAR, there is no NGO that is directly impacting knowledge and helping farmers in the Nabdam District with the needed tools to ensure sustainable farming while safeguarding our environment, and they need to be commended,” he added.
Mr Joel Yenyeya, lead farmer at the Dasang community, indicated that before this training, “most of us sprayed our farms without any protective gear, no gloves, no boots, no nose masks. We would just pick up our knapsack sprayers, fetch water, and start spraying with our bare hands, not knowing the health risks we were exposing ourselves to.”
Mrs Esther Teni, another lead farmer, added that “through this training, I have learned the importance of using protective clothing like overalls, gloves, goggles, and nose masks while spraying. This knowledge has opened my eyes and will help me and other farmers in my community protect our health and work more safely on our farms.”
To ensure safety compliance, FONAR also donated a pair of hand gloves, goggles and nose marks to each of the farmers.
GNA
FAA/KOA