By Philip Tengzu
Wa (UW/R), April 03, GNA – Some lead farmers and Agricultural Extension Agents (AEAs) in the Upper West Region have received training on good farming practices as part of efforts to improve agricultural production in the region.
The Savannah Agricultural Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-SARI) organised the Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop at Wa, as part of the implementation of the Sahelian Landscapes: A Land of Opportunities – “Widen Proven Furrows” (LOGMe II) project.
They are expected to transfer the knowledge and skills to other farmers in their respective communities, targeting about 3,000 farmers in the project communities.
At the opening of the two-day training in Wa, Dr Iddrisu Yahaya, a Principal Investigator at the Wa office of CSIR-SARI, indicated that the LOGMe II had been designed to build on the successes of the LOGMe I while extending its impact to other communities.
He explained that they had conducted a needs assessment in the project communities, which informed a series of activities, including the ToT training to achieve the desired impact.
Dr Yahaya, also an Agricultural Economist, indicated that the project also sought to promote irrigation farming in the Jirapa Municipality, utilising available water resources in the area as an alternative source of livelihood.
Dr George Mahama, an Agronomist at Wa office of the CSIR-SARI, emphasised the need for farmers to adopt good agronomic practices, such as proper land preparation, seed germination tests, adhering to recommended planting distances, and fertiliser selection and application, among others.
He also encouraged farmers to select high-yielding, drought-tolerant, disease- and pest-resistant, and market-preferred seed varieties to maximise yields and profits.
Mr Godwin Opoku, a soil scientist at Wa office of the CSIR-SARI, introduced the participants to effective soil fertility management practices, including the use of biochar to improve crop yield.
He explained that biochar was a cost-effective and sustainable soil-improvement technique that could enhance soil moisture retention and nutrient availability for plant growth.
“Biochar is a resource that is readily available to us as farmers. We have a lot of agricultural produce that is going waste, so we must turn it into carbon-rich materials for application to the soil,” he said.
Mr Opoku also advised farmers to mix the biochar with compost or manure before application to maximise its effect on the crop performance.
The training focused on good agronomic practices (GAPs), soil fertility management and pest control of soy beans, cowpea and maize, and entrepreneurship and marketing.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) led the project implementation in Ghana, Burkina Faso, Niger, Benin and Senegal with funding from the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security through the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Global Mechanism.
It formed part of interventions aimed at addressing the challenge of land degradation and promoting sustainable livelihoods across the five Sahelian countries, which were facing the impacts of climate change.
In Ghana, the project is being implemented by a consortium of organisations, including the CSIR-SARI in the Upper East and Upper West Regions.
In the Upper West Region, it is implemented in Ulkpong, Dogoh, and Dazugri in the Jirapa Municipality and Sakalu, Nanchalla, Pieng, and Basisan in the Sissala East Municipality.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/ Christabel Addo