By Solomon Gumah, GNA
Tolon (N/R), April 03, GNA – A day’s stakeholder engagement to increase the knowledge and resilience of small holder farmers on climate change adaptation has been held at Tolon in the Northern Region.
The engagement which brought together young small-scale farmers in the Tolon District including persons with disabilities (PwDs), was to build the capacity of participants to adopt climate smart agricultural practices that would ensure high crop yields and also safeguard the environment.
It formed part of the implementation of the first phase of a nine-month project being implemented by Ghana Youth Guide, an NGO, with funding support from DIB Denmark and the Civil Society in Development, also in Denmark.
The project dubbed: “Strengthening Ghanaian Youth through Climate Smart Agriculture and Civic Organizing (SGY – CSACO)” is being implemented in the Savelugu and Tolon Districts and seeks to benefit about 50 young small-scale farmers including PwDs.
The engagement meeting was held under the theme: “The Role of Women in Agricultural Development in Ghana”.
Mr Chentiwuni Salifu Abdul-Fataw, Executive Director, Ghana Youth Guide and Project Coordinator of SGY – CSACO, speaking during the meeting, said it was to dialogue with key stakeholders in the district including religious and other traditional authorities on the need to adopt some improved agricultural practices that were crucial towards ensuring maximum food production.
He said it was also to share knowledge on some of the best agricultural practices such as using approved and certified seeds, land preparation and planting to help minimise post-harvest losses usually recorded among small scale farmers in the area.
He called on traditional authorities to prioritise allocating fertile farmlands for women small holder farmers to enable them to contribute their quota towards the overall food security drive of the country as well as help to reduce poverty and deprivation among women and other vulnerable groups.
Mr Basit Zakari, Director, Department of Agriculture, Tolon District Director, said climate change had adversely influenced rainfall patterns in the area, hence the need for farmers to adopt smart agricultural approaches to sustain food production.
He said the need for appropriate and approved land preparations, urging small scale farmers to desist from frequent use of tractors to plough their lands and said it contributed to loss of soil fertility.
He urged farmers to desist from the abuse of agro-chemicals on their lands and help preserve the environment for effective agricultural activities.
Tolon-Naa Sulemana Abubakari, Paramount Chief of Tolon Traditional Area, who was represented at the meeting, said there was already an established land tenure system in the area, which supported mutual agricultural activities without any litigation.
Mr Alhassan Emmanuel Bawa, Acting Tolon District Director, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, said climate change had ripple effects on the rights of women and other vulnerable groups.
GNA