Farmers in Gomoa trained in organic farming

Forty-five farmers from Gomoa West District have attended a two-week training workshop on organic farming, bee-keeping, snail and grasscutter rearing at the Ecological Training Centre at Gomoa Adam.

The workshop was organised by Biodiversity Conservation Project of the Global Habitat for Homeless (GHAF), a non-governmental organization.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) provided funds for the event through its agents Global Environment Facility (GEF) and Small Grant Programme (SGP).

The participants were also taught how to construct smokeless mudstove which used fewer firewood.

Mr. Osei Manu, an officer of the Winneba District office of the Forestry Commission, urged the farmers to take the workshop seriously to enable them to diversify their farming ventures.

He commended GHAF for introducing the participants to the mudstove which used less firewood.

Mr Manu urged the NGO to extend the programme to other areas and explained that because mudstove uses less firewood it would help to prevent the felling of more trees for firewood.

Mr Nicholas Sam, assembly member for the area, commended UNDP for donating three jumbo-size polytank to the community to help solve the water problem facing the people.

Mr. Joseph Bismark Abandoh, Executive Director of GHAF, said the NGO was assisting the community to install gari processing machine which was also provided by UNDP through GET/SGP.

He said the Ministry of Food and Agriculture was encouraging the application of organic manure, which according to him could be obtained locally from droppings of animals and rotten vegetation instead of chemical fertilizer for improving soil fertility

Mr. Abandoh advised the participants to take advantage of the UNDP support and undertake economic activities to enable them to get out of poverty. He called for judicious use of the facilities and to be accountable to the donors.