The first batch of 60 dry season farmers in the Bolgatanga Municipality has received seeds and fertilizer under the Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) project’s Local Economic Development (LED) activities. The support, which includes seeds and two bags of fertilizer per farmer, is aimed at boosting agricultural yields and enhancing food security in the region.
The initiative benefits two clusters of farmers from the Dagweo and Sumbrungu communities for the current dry season. Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Bolgatanga, Rex Asanga, emphasized that dry season farming has been prioritized due to its significant contribution to the municipality’s economic growth.
He noted that other clusters of farmers in the area will receive similar support during the next dry season.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony for the Dagweo community, Mr. Asanga outlined the importance of ensuring that resources are used effectively. “In order to make sure that the fertilizers and seeds reach the right people and are used for the intended purpose, a team visited the farms of the beneficiary farmers to inspect and verify that the fields have been adequately prepared for the season,” he said.
He added that the support also aligns with the construction of two mechanized boreholes under the SOCO LED activities, which is benefiting the Sumbrungu and Dagweo communities by improving access to water for dry-season farming.
Bolgatanga Municipal Director of Agriculture, Lantana Osman, explained that the farmers had been sensitized on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) to ensure sustainable farming methods which enabled them to select three key crops—onions, pepper, and tomatoes.
Madam Osman added that the remaining six clusters of farmers in the municipality will benefit from similar support in subsequent years.
“This is just a compliment of what the farmers require to do what they are doing better but it is not for them to do another farm and called it SOCO farm. The farmer doing 1 acre in the dry season farming will be able to buy twice or thrice of the produce that the wet season farmer will produce. So, I am optimistic that this support will help improve food security,” she stated.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Bolgatanga
