Agric Workers Union launches project to boost crop yield and returns

The General Agricultural Workers Union (GAWU) of the Trades Union Congress has launched a project to expose farmers in the Northern and Volta Regions to modern farming technologies to boost crop yield.

Under this, they are being taught to use mobile phones to share knowledge and information among themselves.

Mr. Karim Saagbul, Coordinator of the Project, addressing a farmers’ forum held at Dungu, a suburb of Tamale, said Commonwealth of Learning (COL), an intergovernmental organization of the Commonwealth of Nations, was providing support.

He said so far 11 farmer groups had been formed in the Northern Region to benefit from the technology transfer project, dubbed “Lifelong for Farmers (LFF)”.

The goal, he stated, was essentially to build their capacity to increase agricultural productivity and to assure the nation of food security.

Mr. Saagbul highlighted the need to provide the farmers with access to new information, training and financing, pointing out that this was the way forward to transform their livelihood.

He underlined the determination of GAWU to empower farmers, particularly the women, with appropriate farming techniques to achieve optimal returns.

They had targeted to reach out to 1,000 farmers by the end of the year, he said, adding that many of the beneficiaries would be aided with access to credit.

He said marketing their produce at competitive prices was another area, they were focusing on.

Mr. Wumbeei Abdulai, the Northern Regional Officer of GAWU, said the project was being implemented in the Central Gonja and the Savelugu/Nanton Municipality and hinted of plans to extend the activity to other districts to benefit more people.

He encouraged women farmers to take advantage of the project to lift themselves out of poverty and strengthen family incomes.

Mr. Mohammed Dawa, a beneficiary farmer, said his farm size had increased and crop yield tripled through the project.

Source: GNA