MoFA asked to support women farmers

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has been asked to step up its technical assistance to small-holder women farmers to enable them to raise production and returns.

Ms. Bernice Dapaah, Executive Director of the Bright Generation Community Foundation, a non-governmental organization, said they needed not only be exposed to modern farming techniques, but also to high yielding crop varieties.

Making the call with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Kumasi, she announced the launch of a training programme by her organization to assist improve the livelihood of the women.

This involves teaching them how to prevent post-harvest losses, marketing, and the application of agro-chemicals.

She said it was being done in partnership with extension officers of the MoFA, and that 517 farmers in the Brong-Ahafo Region had already benefitted.

The Foundation also supports them with credit, ranging between GH¢300.00 and GH¢1,000.00 to expand their farms.

Ms. Dapaah said the assistance would be extended to about 700 others in the Afram Plains and expressed concern about the way women farmers continued to suffer the most in the agricultural supply chain and vowed to work hard to change that.

Her other worry has to do with the many challenges affecting the agriculture sector – the changing climatic conditions, degradation of the soil and urbanization.

Source: GNA