By Solomon Gumah, GNA
Sagnarigu (N/R), Nov 11, GNA – The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI) has promoted climate-resilient rice production technologies among farmers in the Sagnarigu Municipality of the Northern Region.
The initiative, being implemented under the Regional Integrated Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in West Africa through Climate-Resilient Rice Production (RICOWAS) Project, seeks to scale up improved rice production practices and equip farmers with technologies to withstand climate-related challenges.
Mr Alex Yeboah, a Rice Breeder at CSIR-SARI and Assistant Technical Officer assisting in the management of the RICOWAS Project, who addresses farmers at Yilo-Naayili in the Sagnarigu Municipality during a field demonstration, said the technology was being demonstrated to farmers to enable them to appreciate its benefits and adopt practices capable of improving rice productivity.
A major intervention under the project is the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), an improved production approach designed to enhance rice productivity through appropriate planting methods, efficient crop management, and improved soil fertility.
He said the project, funded by the Adaptation Fund, commenced in 2023 and was being implemented over four years across seven regions in Ghana, with activities targeting selected communities and rice value-chain actors.
Mr Yeboah explained that the demonstrations were designed to expose farmers to improved rice production techniques and allow them to compare the performance of the technologies with their traditional farming methods.
He said farmers were more likely to adopt improved agricultural technologies when they could observe their performance under actual field conditions.
He indicated that under the SRI approach, farmers were introduced to appropriate planting arrangements, the application of compost and other improved crop management practices to enhance soil fertility and crop performance.
He said the project established a demonstration farm in the Sagnarigu Municipality on July 31, 2026, where farmers participated in various stages of cultivation including planting and compost application.
He explained that the farmers were subsequently invited back for a field day to assess the performance of the demonstration plot and compare its results with rice fields cultivated using other production methods.
Mr Yeboah said the exercise had demonstrated the potential of the SRI technology and provided farmers with an opportunity to appreciate the benefits of adopting improved production practices.
He said, in addition to the SRI technology, the project demonstrated four improved rice varieties developed and promoted by CSIR-SARI, namely CSIR-Banse Rice, CSIR-Gbewaa Red, CSIR-Malimali and CSIR-Savanna Rice.
He described CSIR-Banse Rice as an early-maturing variety capable of reaching maturity within approximately 84 days, making it particularly suitable for farmers operating under unpredictable rainfall conditions.
He indicated that the variety was the only one among those cultivated in the valley that had reached maturity at the time of the field assessment demonstrating its potential to help farmers manage shortened growing seasons.
He said the early maturity of the variety was particularly significant in Northern Ghana where irregular rainfall and prolonged dry spells increasingly threatened agricultural production.
Mr Shani Abukari-Adua, Sagnarigu Municipal Director of Agriculture, said the demonstration was organised to address gaps in farmers’ production practices and expose them to improved methods that could increase rice yields.
He said although rice cultivation was widespread among farmers in the municipality, many did not follow recommended agronomic practices limiting the productivity of their farms and explained that climate change had made it necessary for farmers to adopt improved production systems to prevent declining agricultural yields and protect their livelihoods.
Mr Abukari-Adua said the SRI technology emphasised precision in planting, noting that appropriate planting arrangements, combined with improved soil fertility management, could contribute significantly to increased rice production.
Mr Adam Dramani, a farmer at Kulimaa, a farming community in the Sagnarigu Municipality, commended CSIR-SARI and the project partners for the initiative.
He said: “Based on the demonstration we have just observed, adopting the improved production technologies will increase our yields and reduce poverty, hunger and deprivation in our communities.”
GNA
Edited by Eric K. Amoh/Benjamin Mensah
Reporter: Solomon Gumah
Email address: [email protected]