By Albert Futukpor
Tamale, Sept 3, GNA – A week-long training of trainers’ workshop to enhance innovation, productivity and sustainability in agriculture practices has opened in Tamale.
It is to strengthen the capacity of stakeholders and enterprises in the establishment and management of innovation platforms to facilitate the adoption of best practices in the production and marketing of rice, soybeans, maize and vegetables to meet the required regional standards.
The training covered key areas, including the agriculture innovation systems approach, integrated agriculture research for development, value chain development, establishing and managing innovation platforms, resource mobilisation for innovation platform members and advocacy and lobbying strategies.
A total of 120 stakeholders in the agriculture sector, including extension agents, research institutions, academia, rice, soybeans, maize and vegetable farmers and producers, government agencies involved in agriculture, private sector actors such as agro-input dealers and suppliers, traditional authorities amongst others drawn from the Northern, Upper East, Upper West and Savannah Regions were the participants.
The training was organised with funding support from the African Development Bank under the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation Programme being implemented by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR-SARI), Crop Research Institute, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa – Capacity Development and Technology Outreach (FARA-CDTO), International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Africa Rice, African Agricultural Technology Foundation, and World Vegetable Center.
Dr Issah Sugri, the Deputy Director of CSIR-SARI, said the training would strengthen the network of digitally connected farmers and empower them through innovation platforms’ approach to enable them to adopt best practices and improve productivity.
As part of the training, six innovation platforms were formed covering the four crops to increase productivity and profitability and benefit farmers and other stakeholders in the agribusiness sector.
Dr Sugri said it was also to foster collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovation within the relevant commodity sectors and create a platform for stakeholders to share ideas, and experiences and adopt innovative approaches.
He said the training was particularly important considering the dry spell experienced in the northern part of the country and called for the adoption of technologies and the implementation of associated policies to enable farmers to have access to irrigation facilities for maximum productivity.
Dr Abdul-Razak Ibrahim, the Cluster Lead for Institutional Capacity and Future Scenarios at FARA, said the training would help to establish commodity-based innovation platforms and develop work and business plans for the implementation of activities and interventions.
He urged participants to make good use of the training to enhance sustainable crop production and address food shortage in the country.
Dr Wilson Dogbey, Managing Director of ESAFEED Business Ventures, a private foundation seed producer, lauded the training and encouraged the participants to demonstrate more interest in the project to ensure its sustainability.
Mr Mohammed Abdulai Rashad, the Secretary of the Gukpegu Paramount Chief in the Dagbon Traditional Area, also lauded the training, saying it would help to create more jobs and other business opportunities in the area.
GNA