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Participants at the Feed the Future Ghana Market System and Resilience Activity Agenda for Ghana MSR and CSIR-SARI Research Pipeline Workshop held in Wa praised the Savannah Agricultural Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-SARI) for its innovative efforts in developing early maturing and high yielding crop varieties, which are vital for addressing climate change challenges faced by farmers.
Mr. Mujeed R. Adams, Secretary of the Wa Out-growers Businesses, highlighted the commendation during the two-day “Feed the Future Ghana Market System and Resilience Activity Agenda for Ghana MSR and CSIR-SARI Research Pipeline Workshop” held in Wa. He noted that despite the advancements, many farmers in the region remain unaware of these new products, calling for increased capacity building and partnerships to enhance awareness and utilization.
“Farmers in the region have limited knowledge and low adoption of modern technologies,” Mr. Adams stated, urging SARI to implement outreach programs to raise awareness among farmers. He also emphasized the need for agricultural mechanization centers to provide affordable equipment and farm machinery, which are currently out of reach for most farmers.
Mr. Adams stressed the importance of maintaining a robust local seed system, cautioning against the loss of indigenous seeds to foreign varieties and technologies. “We must make new technologies responsive to our ecological specifics and locations,” he added.
He also encouraged SARI and private sector agricultural equipment manufacturers to produce cowpea and soyabean harvesters to ensure timely harvesting, reduce post-harvest losses, and produce clean grains and seeds that meet international standards. Additionally, he called for the establishment of warehouses for grain storage, which could serve as collateral for farmers seeking soft loans from financial institutions. These warehouses would also prevent the harmful practice of mixing chemicals with grains.
Mr. Alfred Akolgo, an official of Golden Shea, urged sheabutter producers to maintain quality by processing in clean, hygienic environments to meet international standards and attract foreign investors. He also called on companies manufacturing agricultural implements to provide appropriate equipment and technologies to aid sheabutter processors in producing quality butter for the global market.
Participants at the workshop also demanded planters, threshers, tractors, and harvesters to facilitate farming operations, as well as land banks for farmers in need of land for their agricultural activities. They emphasized that the provision of quality seeds, new technologies, and equipment would enhance production and processing to meet international standards.
The workshop aimed to enlighten companies and the private sector about the improved seeds and technological varieties available for utilization. It featured an exhibition showcasing farm machinery and products such as cowpea, soyabeans, groundnuts, and sheabutter.
