By Rosemary Wayo, GNA
Walewale (NE/R), April 8, GNA – Officials of Eco Restore, together with 40 women, who are into seed nurseries, have undergone a week-long training on grafting of shea seedlings.
The training, held at Walewale, was to educate participants with knowledge on shortening the gestation period of planted shea trees.
It was organised by Eco Restore, an organisation focused on restoring the landscape, in partnership with Bunge and a women’s cooperative.
The seedling grafting training included activities under the Green Climate Fund (GCF) funded by Ghana Shea Landscape Emission Reductions Project (GSLERP).
GSLERP is implemented by the Forestry Commission of Ghana (FC), the Global Shea Alliance (GSA) and the Shea Sustainability Initiative (SSI), a component funded by the USAID and implemented by GSA.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), a GCF accredited entity, oversees management of GSLERP.
As a project, GSLERP seeks to enhance forest carbon stocks across Ghana’s Northern Savannah Zone by addressing deforestation and forest degradation challenges across the zone.
It is also to promote investment in the shea value chain and empower women.
During the training, participants were engaged in modules on grafting processes, and root stock selection, and they were equipped to identify and harvest good scions.
They were taught to transport and care for scions, graft seedlings as well as care for them after grafting.
Speaking at the closing of the training, Mr Adam Osman Wumbei, Operations Manager at Eco Restore, said the training was necessary in expanding awareness on reducing the gestation period of on-farm planted shea trees.
He said the gesture would be replicated in other communities where the organisation operated, adding other methods of shea propagation would be considered in subsequent trainings.
He mentioned that Eco Restore sought to ensure the preparation of cooperatives under the GSLERP project to champion grafting activities in their respective communities.
Mr Salifu Aminatu, Lead of the Tibora Cooperative and a nursery worker, said the training had enhanced farmers’ knowledge on getting shea plants to fruit within a shorter period than usual.
He said the demand for shea was on the increase underscoring the need to get more shea fruits fro the market.
GNA