Over six thousand smallholder farmers in Ashanti, Bono East and Ahafo regions have partnered with Integrity Commodities to promote government’s flagship programme – Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ).
Integrity Commodities distributes hybrid seeds, fertilisers, weedicides, pesticides and provides extension services on credit to farmers who pay back in kind with their farm produce for storage in warehouses.
Farmers, through the partnership, would also be offered readily available market and good price for their produce, if they failed to get buyers.
The Chief Executive of Integrity Commodities, Mr Gideon Quaye, disclosed the partnership during the commission of the renovated Office of the Ministry of Agriculture at Ejura in the Ejura-Sekyedumase District of Ashanti Region.
According to him, the support mechanism would not only improve agriculture in these areas, it would also improve food security and the economic fortunes of the beneficiary farmers as well.
He said the organisation with its supporting partners, RMG Ghana Limited, Glofert Ghana and Yara Ghana Limited, and all agricultural input suppliers, would continue to provide farmers with the necessary support they required in order to improve farming.
Mr Quaye disclosed that the organisation intended to extend the initiative to other parts of the country.
He said the current partnership with farmers had been able to provide almost 50,000 bags of maize and rice in storage, and projected over 200, 000 bags of maize and 50, 000 bags of rice in subsequent years.
Some farmers who spoke to the Ghanaian Times could not hide their joy and appreciation for the partnership, which they said had improved their annual yields from an average of 1.7 metric tonnes per hectare to five metric tonnes per hectare.
The renovation and refurbishment of the district agricultural office which included roofing, tiling, washroom and provision of air conditions cost GH₵60, 000.
FROM FAUSTINA KWABEA OSEI, EJURA
