Ghanaian farmers to benefit from $9m Bill Gates Foundation radio programme

Ghanaian farmers will benefit from a $9 million radio programme which will ensure African farmers get access to timely relevant information.

The programme, a partnership between the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) will be called Farmers Voice Radio, the East African has reported.

The 36 months programme will benefit farmers in Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Mali, Zambia and Ghana.

The programme will be carried with Canada’s World University Service in association with both commercial and community radio stations in the selected countries.

Mercy Kranja, senior programme officer for global development, was quoted as saying that the project is meant to complement the governments’ existing farmer extension services but differs in that it allows for interaction and participation of farmers.

“Extension has been driven one-way — from ministries of agriculture by governments — without factoring in the farmers feedback and involvement. This has caused farmers to feel they are not part of the process,” said Ms Karanja.

The Farmer Voice Radio will be an expansion of an earlier progamme which targeted Ghana, Mali, Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi.

By Emmanuel K. Dogbevi