By Albert Futukpor
Tamale, Sept 30, GNA – Some beneficiaries of the Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils (VACS) Seed Systems project have lauded it for transforming their lives and farming practices by improving their access to improved pearl millet varieties.
They said the activities of the project had strengthened their knowledge of seed production and management as well as equipped them to become sources of agricultural information in their communities.
Those trained as Village-Based Advisors (VBAs) said they had become lead farmers and agro-input dealers helping other farmers access improved seeds and agricultural inputs.
They were speaking at a close out meeting in Tamale to document key achievements, share lessons learned, discuss outcomes and explore strategies for sustaining and scaling successful interventions beyond the project period.
The meeting was organised by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) in collaboration with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre, IWAD Ghana, ANTIKA Company Limited and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture with funding through the Feed the Future initiative.
The VACS project sought to improve farmers’ awareness of and access to climate-adaptive and nutritionally enriched pearl millet and cowpea varieties to enhance household nutrition, incomes and livelihoods.
Mr Basiru Alhassan from Bawku in the Upper East Region, who was trained as a VBA, said his participation in the project had transformed him from a VBA into a model lead farmer adding his experience was inspiring other farmers in his community.
Mr Alhassan received training as a VBA under the project where he was introduced to improved pearl millet varieties including Akad Kom and Naad K.
This year, he cultivated the two varieties on half-acre plots, each producing a combined yield of 400 kilogrammes from one acre even after accounting for losses caused by birds.
He said he now cultivated the crop twice a year to contribute to household food security and poultry feed.
He said after harvesting, he also converted the stalks into compost as well as used the crop for herbal applications.
Mr Alhassan said he would build on the experience gained under the project by becoming a seed distributor next year to help farmers in his community gain easier access to improved seeds.
Mr Adongo Simon Apuko, a farmer from Kalbeo in the Bolgatanga Municipality of the Upper East Region, said the improved pearl millet varieties had changed a decision he had held for about 15 years.
Mr Apuko said he abandoned pearl millet production after repeated attacks by wild birds, which he said made farming the crop frustrating and unprofitable.
He said his perspective changed after he was introduced to the project and was given two improved varieties (Naad K and Akad Kom) to establish a demonstration plot.
He said following the demonstration, he observed that the Naad K variety was more tolerant to bird attacks than the varieties he had previously cultivated, restoring his confidence in pearl millet production.
Mr Martin Domatieha, another beneficiary from Jang in the Natoli-Kaleo District of the Upper West Region, was trained as a VBA to strengthen his knowledge and capacity to support farmers with agricultural information and improved farming practices.
Rather than limiting himself to his role as a VBA, he took the initiative to further upgrade his skills and establish himself as an agricultural input dealer.
Mr Domatieha said he now assisted farmers in his community to access improved seeds and agrochemicals, thereby extending the benefits of the project beyond his own farm to other farmers.
He said he planned to become a distributor in the future to enable him to reach more farmers with improved agricultural inputs.
The three-year project, which began in November 2023, promoted six improved and climate-resilient pearl millet and cowpea varieties in the North East, Upper East and Upper West Regions.
The project produced and supplied certified seed, distributed over 100,000 small seed packs and supported more than 500 demonstration plots and 300 field days to promote improved varieties and good agronomic practices.
It also trained over 100 agro-dealers and more than 400 VBAs, who were established as independent farmers to strengthen seed delivery.
Dr Tchala Noudifoulè, the Coordinator, VACS project, said the project had helped to establish a seed value chain to improve smallholder farmers’ access to improved and climate-resilient pearl millet and cowpea varieties in the northern part of the country.
He said the project linked research institutions producing foundation seed with private seed companies, agro-dealers and farmers to facilitate the production and distribution of certified seeds.
Dr Noudifoulè said before the intervention, improved varieties developed by research institutions were not easily accessible to farmers, who often continued to rely on older varieties.
He said the project introduced small seed packs to enable farmers to test the performance of improved varieties before investing in larger quantities.
Dr Peter Anabire Asungre, Pearl Millet Breeder at CSIR-SARI said the project had moved improved pearl millet varieties from research stations into a more functional seed production and delivery system.
Dr Asungre said the improved varieties could mature in about 75 days making them suitable for areas experiencing rainfall challenges and required relatively less fertiliser than maize while offering market opportunities because of demand from consumers and food businesses.
The project also supported the promotion of three improved cowpea varieties; SARI-Tuya, Kanton-Bongdaa and Awudu-Benga, through foundation seed production, demonstrations and linkages with private seed companies and agro-dealers.
Mr Seidu Mubarak Abdulai, Manager of ANTIKA Company Limited, a seed producing company, who presented the experiences and contributions of the seed companies on the project, said ANTIKA produced 98.12 metric tonnes of certified pearl millet seed against a target of 90 tonnes while IWAD Ghana produced 67.5 metric tonnes of certified pearl millet seed against a target of 60 tonnes.
He said early maturing varieties, opportunities for two cropping cycles, increasing demand for certified seed and market opportunities for pearl millet and cowpea were opportunities for sustaining the seed system.
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Albert Futukpor
Reporter’s email address: [email protected]