A total of 30 Agricultural Extension Agents (AEAs) have undergone training on improved soybean varieties, good agricultural practices and mechanization-oriented production.
The AEAs, drawn from the Northern Region, were taken through varietal selection and good agronomic practices including land preparation, planting, spacing and plant population, weed management, soil fertility and nutrient management, inoculation where appropriate, pest and disease management, harvesting and post-harvest handling.
The day’s training, held at the CSIR-SARI Technology Park at Nyankpala, near Tamale, also focused on profitable, market-oriented and climate-smart soybean production as well as the introduction of new and improved soybean varieties with characteristics suitable for mechanical harvesting.
The mechanisation-suitable soybean varieties are CSIR-SADEP, CSIR-Abush, and CSIR-SARI Soya 1, which are early-maturing and have yield potentials of up to three tonnes per hectare.
They also possess high pod clearance making them well suited for mechanised harvesting.
The training was organised under the soybean compact of the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Phase II project, which is led by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture.
The TAAT Soybean Compact is a component of the African Development Bank’s TAAT Programme aimed at boosting soybean production, productivity and income across Africa.
It delivers high-yielding, climate resilient seed varieties and improved agricultural technologies to smallholder farmers and young agripreneurs aiming to enhance nutrition and economic opportunities by 2026.
The training was facilitated by Dr Charles Nelimor, Focal Person for the soybean compact of TAAT Phase II project and Manager of the CSIR–SARI Agricultural Technology Park.
For soybean farmers, labour costs, harvesting efficiency, variety choice, agronomic practices and access to markets determine whether soybean becomes a commercially attractive enterprise.
Dr Nelimor said the training was organised in recognition of such challenges adding the soybean varieties under the project offered potential to address labour constraints and improve harvesting efficiency especially as farmers sought to expand production.
He said “Soybean profitability starts with making the right production decisions; from choosing an appropriate variety to managing the crop properly and harvesting it efficiently.”
Rather than viewing production solely through the lens of yield, the AEAs were encouraged to consider input costs, labour requirements, harvesting efficiency, productivity and market opportunities when advising farmers.
Dr Nelimor said “Farmers need technologies that fit the realities of their production systems. Varieties that can work with mechanical harvesting, combined with good agronomic practices, can help reduce some of the constraints associated with expanding soybean production.”
He said the training also demonstrated the role of the CSIR–SARI Agricultural Technology Park as a practical platform for connecting research innovations with extension personnel, farmers and other agricultural stakeholders.
He urged the AEAs to share the knowledge with farmers within their jurisdictions emphasising that “The goal is not simply for extension agents to acquire information here. They should be able to take these practices into their communities, work with farmers and help them make better production and business decisions.”
Mr Karim Musah, an AEA from the Kumbungu District, lauded the training saying it had exposed them to improved varieties that they were not aware of.
Madam Rabiatu Jumai Issah, an AEA from the Sagnarigu Municipality, said the training had provided an opportunity for them to learn about agricultural technologies that were of immense benefits to farmers.
