Agriculture continues to be the key contributor to strengthening the Ghana’s economy, but in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and its negative impact globally, majority of farmers especially those in the Northern part of Ghana have been badly affected.
In view of that, the Savannah Zone Agricultural Productivity Improvement Project (SAPIP), under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, has supported 15,000 farmers in northern Ghana with logistics to cultivate 12,000 hectares of rice.
The support, according to the project implementers, seeks to improve the production of rice in Ghana as well as ease the negative impact of COVID-19 on farmers and their livelihood.
Speaking at an engagement with rice farmers in Walewale, Project Coordinator of SAPIP, Felix Darimaani noted that the outbreak of COVID-19 has brought about a challenge in the importantion of rice; and therefore there is the need to support farmers to increase rice production to meet future consumption.
“We all know how COVID-19 has affected our lives and the need for such interventions. There are potential rice Valleys in the Northern sector, talking about the Nasia -Wungu Valley; it is one of the production hubs for rice. So we saw the need to support these farmers.”
“Let me add that over 1,500 hectares of valleys have been awarded on contract to develop them into rice production hubs.” He explained.
Mr. Darimaani also stressed that since the implementation of SAPIP in 2018, over 200, 000 smallholder farmers have been supported with improved seed and fertilizers.
Interacting with the media, some beneficiaries expressed their gratitude to SAPIP for the timely support, adding that it has gone a long way to enable them increase their farmlands as well as improve food yields.
They expressed optimism of increasing their farm sizes come next farming season.
SAPIP which has its funding from the African Development Bank aims to transform African agriculture into a competitive and inclusive agribusiness that creates wealth and improves livelihoods.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHZ|Moses Apiah|Ghana
