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Story Reported by Gideon Kotey
CSIR-Savanna Agricultural Research Institute Partners USAID Ghana Inclusive Agriculture Transformation (GIAT) Programme to improve farmers' access to improved technologies.
The Savanna Agricultural Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-SARI) has partnered the Ghana Inclusive Agricultural Transformation Program to introduce farmers in the Gushegu district of the Northern Region to improved crop varieties and related technologies. At a farmer field day held on 23rd, October, a team of researchers led by Dr. Doris Kanvenaa Puozaa, a scientist in Seed Science and Technology, and Dr. Richard Oteng-Frimpong, a breeder and Head of Division, Scientific Support Group of the CSIR-SARI, took farmers through the use of high quality seed of new soybean varieties and maize hybrids at a demonstration farm in Kpatili community.
Speaking at the farmer field day, Dr. Richard Oteng-Frimpong said they were there to showcase their technology to the farmers within the catchment area and these were two soybean varieties namely Afayak and Favour and also two new maize hybrids. This was to let the farmers know the benefits of growing these new varieties. He said the mandate of CSIR-SARI was to contribute to increased productivity of farmers through the development and dissemination of agricultural technologies. In line with this, the institute has released high yielding stress (drought, diseases, insect pests etc) tolerant varieties to the farming community over the years with support from partners such as AGRA and USAID.
The farmers were excited to receive the new varieties in their district and chose their preferred varieties based on characteristics of interest to them. Farmers were interested in the new varieties that were high yielding, had bold grains, matured early and tolerant to drought as well as striga (in the case of maize). They said they look forward to having access to the new soybean varieties and maize hybrids come next planting season.
Dr. Doris Kanvenaa Puozaa, who also spoke at the event said the whole idea was to bring good planting materials of maize and soybean to the farmers and that the new varieties were selected because they fit the ecology of the district. She said this was to transform the yields of farmers because currently some farmers were recording two bags which is about 200 kilograms per acre but with the new varieties and using the right agronomic practices, they could expect to record eight bags. This is in line with the goal of the GIAT program of improving the yields, incomes and livelihoods of farmers.
Dr Oteng-Frimpong expressed his gratitude to USAID and AGRA on behalf of the management of CSIR-SARI, for their continuous support of the work of the institute and agricultural development as a whole in the country. The GIAT program is sponsored by USAID through AGRA Ghana.
Source: www.truthtvnews.com
Editor: Nii Amon