Sixty farmers from Boadi and Barekese in Kumasi have received training on traditional leafy vegetables,
The training facilitated by the Crops Research Institute and the Plant Generic Resources Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-PGRR) aims at integrating indigenous leafy vegetables in the diet of Ghanaians.
Speaking at the educational workshop at the Crops Research Institute in Kumasi, Director of the Plant Generic Resources Research Institute, Dr Daniel Kotey highlighted the benefits of traditional leafy vegetables in combating climate change.
“We are working with farmers to cultivate indigenous leafy vegetables and these are very important crops that constitutes a large section of our diet. And our indigenous leafy vegetables in combating climate change and also promoting healthy diets and food and nutrition security in the country,” he said.
He also indicted that the integration of the indigenous leafy vegetables assures the consumption of nutritious foods as it does not require fertilizers to ward off pests like indigenous crops.
“Some of these farmers are having to throw away the materials they have been collecting in favour of cabbage and other exotic crops that the general public likes.
“So the diversity we are evaluating with the farmers contain useful genes that are able to tolerate pests and diseases, so it means the farmers do not have to spray against these pest and diseases,”he said.
“These leafy vegetables are cultivated on low lands and these lands are being filled with buildings so it is a big issue,”she said.
Director of the Crops Research Institute, Prof Moses Brandford Mochiah appealed to stakeholders to support the Plant Genetic Resources and Research Institute with funding to perform their duties.
