By P.K.Yankey
Ahanta-Mampong (W/R), June 6, GNA- Cooperative Farmers at Ahanta-Mampong in the Western Region have received training in organic farming as part of efforts to streamline climate smart Agriculture (Agroecology) to produce organic foods for human consumption.
Dubbed, “Women in Agroecology”, the training focused on enhancing sustainable weed control, integrated pest management and organic manure practices among farmer cooperatives in the Western Region through grassroot capacity building and advocacy training.
The project was jointly organized by Goshen Global Vision and the Center for Indigenous Knowledge and Organizational Development (CIKOD) with funding from 11th Hour Project.
The Executive Director of Goshen Global Vision, Madam Mary Perpetual Kwakwuyi noted that the application of chemicals on weeds and food crops brought about health hazards such as cancer.
She in that regard advised farmers to use organic weedicides, organic pesticides and organic manure on their farmlands.
Madam Kwakwuyi said GGV intended to establish a seed bank on demonstration farms in the Western Region to revive seed crops.
She appealed to the farmers to go back for the organic farming methods to produce food crops, which have no debilitating effects on consumers.
Madam Kwakwuyi advised the farmers to take advantage of the free training to better their living conditions.
Executive Director of CIKOD, Mr Wilberforce Laate, urged the farmers to go back to the days of organic farming “to prove to the policy makers that we can do without exotic seeds.”
He recalled that ” during the era of COVID-19 where there was no importation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), farmers in Ghana were able to plant seeds.”
“We can do our agriculture without the chemicals, since they are posing danger to us.”
An Agroecology Trainer, Mr James Okoakpajor practically took the farmers through the preparation of organic manure, organic pesticides, weedicides and organic fertilizers on their farmlands.
He advised the farmers to look for nature-based solutions to their farming activities.
Mr Okoakpajor trained the farmers on how to prepare knapsack weedicide spray with urine, Ada salt, ash of cocoa peel, Slats soap, liquid soap, baking powder and vinegar oil in the right quantities.
The farmers also went through a rigorous training on how to mix charcoal and faeces of fowls into poultry manure as organic fertilizer on crops.
He said the organic pesticides repelled pests from crops without having any infection on the crops.
On the application of organic manure, Mr Okoakpajor said some organisms in the soil helped to make it fertile and improve yield of crops, hence the application of the chemicals would kill them.
He said regular training would be given to the farmers to produce organic foodstuffs without and health hazards.
Secretary to the Ahanta-Mampong Adom Cooperative Farmers, Mr Anthony Yalley noted that the training would enhance farming practices and improve livelihoods.
He thanked GGV for supplying farmers with seedlings, pesticides and other farming inputs.
Mr Yalley said prospective farmers were willing to expand their base but that land tenure had become a major setback.
He appealed to traditional rulers to release land to the youth who were eager to venture into farming.
GNA