The International Finance Corporation (IFC) Warehouse Receipt System (WRS) has been embraced by agriculture extension officers in the Sissala District of the Upper West Region as it is viable to help farmers improve post-harvest management.
The agriculture extension officers within the Sissala East Municipal and Sissala West District assemblies are hopeful that the initiative would enable smallholder farmers to earn more income.
Mr Haruna Dasmana, an Agriculture Extension agent, speaking on behalf of his colleagues at the end of a two-day training session at Tumu in the Sissala East municipality, said they were excited about the project.
He expressed confidence that the system would help farmers decide prices for their own produce, stressing; “We believe farmers would be happy to hear what we have discussed, particularly about they determining their own prices and will no longer accept lower prices often offered by middlemen.”
Mr Clement Kawuribi, the Sissala East Municipal Director of Agriculture, said the WRS presented a real opportunity for his outfit to support farmers market their produce.
“This is what we have been waiting for and we believe that this would go a long way to improve the lives of our farmers,” he added.
“Our farmers have produced a lot but marketing is a problem and we are excited to work with you on this initiative to support our farmers,” he stated.
The IFC’s Ghana WRS is the World Bank Group’s technical assistance and advisory services project being implemented in nine regions.
It is aimed at setting up a regulated system to facilitate an increased access to credit by farmers, boost the supply chain, link farmers to structured markets and reduce post-harvest storage loses.
The intervention focuses on supporting a well-functioning WRS as a necessary pre-condition for successful operations of the Ghana Commodity Exchange programme. It provides policy and regulation including technical advice, training, capacity building and awareness creation for various stakeholders in the public and private sectors.
The IFC, a sister organisation of the World Bank and member of the World Bank Group, is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets.
It also works with more than 2,000 businesses worldwide, using capital, expertise, and influences to create markets and opportunities in the toughest areas of the world.
In the 2018 fiscal year, it delivered more than 23 billion dollars in long-term financing for developing countries. GNA
