The Bono Regional Minister Hon Justina Owusu Banahene has justified the Government’s flagship programmes and policy initiatives to empower and encourage farmers to engage in farming and fishing activities devoid of stress and frustration in order to produce in large commercial quantities to ensure food availability and security.Addressing a Durbar of Chiefs, people and farmers during the joint Regional and Municipal celebration of the 39th National Farmers Day held at Akrobi in the Wenchi Municipality under the theme: “Delivering Smart Solutions for Sustainable Food Security and Resilience”, the Regional stressed the call to invest in research and development and provide farmers with the needed tools and knowledge to enhance productivity while preserving our environment.
She stated, despite the fact that Ghana is well endowed with arable land to support cultivation of all kinds of cash and food crops – cocoa, cashew, citrus cassava, cocoyam, plantain, millet, sorghum, maize, rice including poultry and livestock, our farmers are not being able to produce in large commercial quantities for consumption let alone for export. The country depends on other countries around the globe to achieve some measure of food security as a result of the use of outmoded practice of subsistence farming. The nation stands at the threshold where agricultural landscape is evolving and demand for adaptative innovations and technologies. Thus, there is the need to invent the wheel to empower our farmers to employ smart solutions to produce on large scale. Smart solutions encompasses a spectrum of possibilities from precision farming and agric-tech to efficient water management and crop diversification. Promote eco-friendly, support organic farming; and pave the way for a robust agricultural sector that can withstand the challenges of Climate Change. To be resilient to forge a close collaboration and inclusivity, foster partnerships between the government bodies, agricultural organizations and the private sector. Work together to create an ecosystem that nurtures innovation and ensures that our farmers have access to resources they need.
According to the Minister, this was why the NPP government under the leadership of His Excellency, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has made deliberate and conscious efforts to introduce flagship programmes to ensure that the Agriculture Sector is much improved to contribute to the socio-economic development of this country. Planting for Food and Jobs, and the Tree Crop Development Authority are examples of these programmes. The Bono Region got its fair share in the government flagship programmes and interventions. The Affordable Agricultural Financing for Resilient Rural Development (AFFORD) Project was launched in Sunyani in September, 2023. The project aimed to provide affordable finance to smallholder agribusinesses in targeted value chains that would address the demand and supply of financing and improve the living standards of smallholder farmers, the poor, and vulnerable women and youth through improvement in the productivity, income and resilience of the targeted groups. The Project would cover the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, Savanna, Northern and North East regions. The project is expected to support 75,000 households (or 450,000 individuals), including at least 50% being women. Again, the Project will support 320 communities of which 80% of the beneficiaries would be small-scale businesses, and 20% being large-scale and market-oriented farmers. FBOs, Community Credit and Savings Associations, aggregators’ off-takers, input dealers and processors well as MSMEs in agribusiness.
The following projects were undertaken by NPP government in collaboration with some stakeholders to improve cashew productivity and livelihoods of cashew farmers especially women in the region; the Pro Cashew Project trained farmers on cashew orchard rehabilitation, Canopy Management, distribution of Beehives to women farmers. The Project also supported some selected farmers with items such as tricycles, motor bikes, chain saw machines, knapsack sprayers. The Cashew Watch Ghana was launched in the region due to its strong involvement in the cashew industry. The Cashew Watch Ghana aims at amplifying the voice of cashew farmers for their wellbeing concerning the pricing of cashew produce. This project was founded by Star Ghana Foundation. The World Vegetable (WorldVeg) Centre in collaboration with some districts are promoting vegetable production in the region through the use of simple irrigation facilities such as “Sack Gardening” technology. This collaboration seek to inculcate the habit of backyard farming by urban dwellers.
Hon Justina Owusu Banahene encourage all especially government workers to involve themselves in the project to supplement their salary and also provide them with good and organic vegetables to improve on their health as well as your family.
