A two-day training workshop to enhance the capacity and skills of some smallholder farmers on climate-smart agriculture has been held in Tamale.
It was aimed at increasing farmers’ knowledge and resilience on climate change adaptation to enhance food production.
It was organised by Ghana Youth Guide, a non-government organisation, under its ‘Strengthening Ghanaian Youth Through Climate Smart Agriculture and Civic Organizing (SGY – CSACO) project with funding support from DIB Denmark and the Civil Society in Development, also in Denmark.
The training brought together beneficiary farmers under the project within Savelugu and Tolon Districts in the Northern Region including persons with disabilities (PwDs).
Mr Chentiwuni Salifu Abdul-Fataw, Executive Director, Ghana Youth Guide and Project Coordinator for SGY – CSACO, speaking during the training, said the impact of climate change especially on vulnerable communities and farmers called for an urgent need to adopt improved and smart agricultural practices for
sustainable food production in the country.
He said the training was to equip them with the requisite knowledge on proper land preparation for planting, and the need to embrace certified seeds to maximise production.
He expressed optimism that the training would influence farmers’ attitude to climate change.
Mr Basit Zakari, Tolon Director, Department of Agriculture, who facilitated the training, took participants through the required land preparation, scientifically approved seeds, and how farmers could take care of their crops in order to maximise yields.
He emphasised on the importance of choosing quality seeds whilst urging farmers to prioritise seeds that were drought resistant.
He encouraged farmers to desist from indiscriminate use of agro-chemicals, bush burning, deforestation and water pollution in order to increase food production and address poverty and deprivation.
Mr Shani Mahama, Industrial Liaison Director for Tamale Technical University, said climate change had over the years been consid
ered as a development challenge, which required the active participation of all stakeholders to address.
He said: ‘As a country, we need to demonstrate enough commitment to sensitising our smallholder farmers on best agricultural practices to enhance food security and contribute to the attainment of goal 13 of the Sustainable Development Goals, which called for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts by 2030.’
Madam Abibata Alhassan, a participant at the training, expressed gratitude to Ghana Youth Guide and partners for providing the platform to educate them on how to safeguard the environment and ensure high crop yields.
Source: Ghana News Agency