Include groundnuts cultivation in block farm concept -ROWFAD

The Chief Executive Officer of Rural Organization of Women Farmers and Agro-Processing Development (ROWFAD), Yenaa Yahya has made a passionate appeal to the government to include the cultivation of groundnuts in the block farm concept established by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA).

Mr. Yahya stated that since the inception of the block farm concept groundnut cultivation and chemical fertilizer of groundnut has not been part of government's subsidy.

He made the statement at a regional forum organized in Wa by ROWFAD for its members with support from the Business Advocacy Challenge (BUSAC) Fund.

Mr. Yahya stated there is the need to advocate for gender in agriculture groundnut as the most window crop in the northern and upper regions.

He further stated that it is the most viable income generating activity that bring income to the rural women under the theme ''access to guarantee market after production and processing''.

According to the ROWFAD chief executive officer, the inclusion of groundnuts will therefore not only increase the income of women in the rural communities but also increase the nutritional level of rural house hold in both the paste and the oil.

A monitor of the BUSAC FUND, martin Dery posited that aim of the fund is not to support advocacy for advocacy sake or for trouble makers but rather its aim to support people whose activities are such that there is a some input that is needed from the public sector especially government and other stakeholders to ensure that those people run profitable business.

Mr. Dery stated that ROWFAD is among four groups that are benefiting from the fund in the upper west region which they code name Call one (1).

He announced that under CALL Two (2) ten groups in the upper west region are penciled to benefit from the fund.

He praised the media for the support given to ROWFAD and pleads that same support should be given to the other groups to enable them succeed.