New Revolution: CSIR-SARI Introduces Two New Onion Varieties To Farmers In The Upper West Region Of Ghana

Research scientists in the Upper West region working with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Savannah Agricultural Research Institute (CSIR- SARI-Wa), have taken up the challenge to break the barrier by making the Upper West region one of the major onion production hubs in the country.

At present onion production in the Upper West Region is nothing significant to write home about even though it is on record that onion production around Karni in the Lambusie District of the region is a lead production center especially with the blind onion farmers’ association who are predominantly into onion production.

It must be noted that CSIR- SARI-Wa is adopting a different approach by involving peasant farmers to own, learn and adopt acceptable Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) in the production of onion in an attempt to hit the world market in order to earn hard currency for the country.

Research Scientists of the CSIR- SARI-Wa on seasonal basis take farmers through knowledge acquisition and value addition techniques on what constitutes resilient and sustainable onion production. It is trite knowledge to state that onion (Allium cepa L.) is among major vegetable crops grown in West Africa but has not been given a very deliberate and serious attention in the Upper West region on a large scale and commercial production basis.

In Ghana, onion is grown on a large scale production in the Northern and Upper East Regions of the country, this is more so especially in areas like Bawku, Bolgatanga and Navrongo all in the Upper East region. The common onion cultivated mostly in Ghana are the varieties of ‘Bawku red’ and Gilma, a much known local varieties.

In the Upper West region some farmers have the perception that onion production cannot thrive very well in the region. This negative perception has been scientifically debunked by the CSIR-SARI Wa through the concept of demonstrations farms conducted so far by these research institutions. It is for this reason that CSIR-SARI, has introduced some good varieties of onions known as ‘Idol and ‘Texas’ tropical’ which is tested through scientific research methods with the use of field demonstrations in order for farmers to familiarize themselves with these two new varieties for adaption. So far it is gladdening to note that farmers in the region have seen the practical application and advantage of these varieties.

In welcoming farmers to one the successfully organized farmers’ field day Dr. George Yakubu Mahama an agronomist and the head of division for CSIR/SARI Wa encouraged participants especial women farmers in the region to run their farming activities in a business-like manner especially with the introduction of new varieties of onion since CSIR/SARI is in the region to give them all the needed assistance to enable them succeed and to improve their financial positions in life.

Another research scientist, Mr. Hashim Ibrahim who is an Assistant Research Scientist and a Biometrician working with the CSIR-SARI, Wa station seized the opportunity and took the participant through the new onion experiments. It is interesting to know during the experiment that the onion experiment was carried out with two different types of fertilizer meant for application. These include organic and inorganic fertilizers with varying rates of application methods. And it includes methods such as ‘No amendment’ (control), NPK only, Green fertilizer only, ½ NPK+1/2 green fertilizer, 1/3 NPK+1/3 Green fertilizer and 2/3 NPK+2/3 green fertilizer.

It was amply demonstrated that the two main onion varieties used during the demonstration included ‘Idol’ and ‘Texas’ tropical which were used to determine the results of high yields under the treatments when it comes to latest techniques of onion production in the Upper West Region and the country as a whole. The participants selected for the purpose were given the needed knowledge on the especially the best rate of fertilizer to apply. Mr Ibrahim Hashim said high yielding varieties of ‘Idol’ and ‘Texas’ onions have early maturing period and they are climate smart varieties and it is the best choice for the average farmer.

An agricultural economist Dr Iddrisu Yahaya who also took participants through agriculture and value chain demonstrated the need to organize such demonstration farms and insisted that it is the best solution in the Upper West region as farmers learn at first hand get the needed knowledge to apply for their own benefits. According to him, crop budgeting in farm business will surely lead to cost benefits analysis of which he said the average farmer must have a working knowledge of whether he or she is educated or not. He reiterated the economic importance of onion as a vegetable crop for food, household income generation, and medicinal uses such as improved heart health, better blood sugar regulation, and increased bone density among others

Mr. Opoku Godwin a soil scientist advised the participants to always try and make it it a habit to test their soils before carrying out any crop cultivating for farming purposes. He said farmers in the region should show commitment and go into onion production on a full scale basis and urged them to take onion production seriously as an agricultural business. He indicated that Ghana as a country is a major importer of onions and shallots, fresh or chilled from Burkina Faso and Niger to the tune of $264.03K, 440,847 Kg and $266.82 thousand during 2023 period under review, and traced the source to the United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database on international trade.

Mr. Asieku Yahaya another agronomist advised women folks in the region to have an added advantage as women to improve and boost their income levels through the cultivation of onion. He stated that the GAP project is the key to all crop production and a good applicable solution to all farmers in the region.

In assessing the overall knowledge application to participants on the new onion varieties of ‘Idol’ and ‘Texeas’, farmers drawn from Kpongu and other surrounding villages within the Wa municipality of the Upper West Region have indeed achieved a resounding successful and knowledge acquisition approval ratings in the region . These selected farmers also expressed their happiness and readiness especially on the need to learn new agricultural technologies of which they at all time prepared to adopt and apply for their own benefits.

It is interesting to relate here that some of the selected farmers were actually seeing onion plants for the first time in their life as farmers. This is particularly so when onion cultivation is not part of the crops grown for either commercial or subsistent farming purposes these farmers also showed keen interest in going into onion production on a very large scale in order to copy the shining examples of Niger and Burkina Faso within the West African sub-region.

A female farmer from Kpongu, Madam Sherifa Daud expressed her open gratitude to the organizers of onion demonstration farm and assured all the research scientists that with the intervention of CSIR-SARI Wa, farmers in the Upper West region will embrace the new varieties introduced by the two well respected research institutions, in order to make the region a leading producer and exporter of onion in the country and the world at large.

Seidu Bomanjo is a broadcast journalist and Development Communication Practitioner with a background in Environmental Law and a passionate rural reporter, works with the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) Radio Upper West, based in Wa, the Upper West Regional capital

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