Farmers Urged To Keep Data

Daily Guide Oct.20,2010

By Emmanuel Kubi

John Riley, Chief of Party to the ACDI/VOCA and Agricultural Development and Value Chain Enhancement (ADVANCE), a USAID funded program in Ghana, has stated that it is important for farmers to store data and detailed information on their farms in order to benefit fully from the value chain enhancement program that supports the farmers.
Riley made these remarks on Friday in Accra at a seminar, which was under the theme “Agricultural development and the value chain enhancement.”
He said 12,000 citrus farms in 15 districts have been surveyed, providing information on the location of the farms, production capacities, quality and other essential information that processors need to establish factories.
According to him, data do not only draw the players closer to the farmer but help the farmers to know the size of their farms and pay labour services in accurate terms.
He said they must use the value chain development approach to target industries, banks, among others as well as production systems for the transformation of Ghana’s agricultural sector. “We can achieve these by strengthening the channels linking the smallholders farmers to the agriculture service markets,”
On his part, Nuntgomah Abdulai, Chairman of the Seed Growers Association for Central and Western Region said challenges facing the seed producers within the value chain can affect the process if they are not addressed.
Inadequate planters and extension service hinder quality seed production.
According to him, poor storage facilities, lack of dryers and poor sorting equipment affect the production of seeds.
He called for the promulgation of the seed law to stop the importation of seeds by private importers to sustain the local seed production.
ADVANCE, which was instituted by the US government, is contributing to the attainment of the objectives of Government of Ghana’s Food and Agriculture Sector Development Policy (FASDEP II).
It focuses on the production of maize, pineapple, soybeans, rice, mango and citrus in the country.