By Isaac Arkoh
Cape Coast, July 20, GNA – Small-scale farmers in the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipality of the Central Region have adopted climate-resilient and gender sensitive farming practices to increase output.
The 120 farmers, largely women, were part of months of training through the cultivation of demonstration farms for new varieties of cowpea, maize, and potatoes planted with new technologies.
The project, which started two years was aimed at improving farmers’ access to climate information services and the technology and innovation that underpins climate-smart agriculture.
It formed part of the Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) Ghana project, working to make Ghana’s agriculture and food systems more resilient in the face of climate change.
AICCRA Ghana bolsters the livelihoods of resource-poor farmers across Ghana and supports greater food security in the country by getting innovations developed by CGIAR and its partners off the shelves and into fields.
The AICCRA Ghana project is led by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and works with local organizations including the Crop Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-CRI), the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet), the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), University of Development Studies (UDS) and the National Agricultural Research System, with funding from the World Bank.
Madam Theresa, Anderson, one of the beneficiary women, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at a demonstration farm at Dompoase was highly impressed with the output of the crop varieties.
They were introduced to climate-smart maize varieties including Denbea, Abontem, Honampa and the Suhudu, together with the locally produced maize.
She testified that the varieties were drought resistant, had early cobbing characteristics and were climate-change resilient.
The soil was treated with Neem powder, and the huge harvest indicated that the problem of sweet potato weevils had been dealt with.
“We cannot hide our happiness about the output of the new varieties of maize. There is a great difference in output, so we will not use it any longer.
“We are happy about this education and insight and certain to change our farming and hopefully make us better-off,” she stated.
Dr Stephen Yeboah, a Senior Research Officer at the CSIR-CRI, explained that climate change and its effects on food production required the deployment of firm interventions that would increase farmer yields and ensure food security.
Such interventions, he said, would also enhance the well-being of farmers.
He noted that the maize varieties were particularly chosen for the Central Region, because they were demand driven.
The potato demonstration farms taught farmers how to cultivate sweet potatoes and insect management innovations and integrated soil fertility management services.
GNA