IFDC and AGRA to enhance food security situation in Ghana

International Centre for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development (IFDC) with funding from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is implementing projects aimed at increasing smallholder farmers' productivity and rural incomes in Ghana by making inputs available and accessible to rural farmers and to link farmers to market.

Dr. Kofi Debrah Country Representative of International Centre for Soil Fertility and Agriculture Development (IFDC) disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Tuesday in an exclusive interview in Accra. He explained that the Ghana Agro-Dealers Development Project (GAAD) funded by the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is providing support in terms of training to agro-input dealers in product knowledge and managerial skills in order to expand their network and better serve farmers in the rural areas. The project provides credit through credit guarantee programme with UT Bank and has made available about US$ 1 million to agro-input dealers through the E-zwich card, an electronic payment system recently launched in Ghana. The three-year project which started in October 2008 is expected to end in the last quarter of 2011.

He said the interventions by AGRA particularly to link farmers to market would help remove the frustrations farmers go through in selling their produce and boost farmers' desire to produce more to meet the country's food needs.

Mr. Isaac Asare, Project Manager of GADD, who gave brief description of the project, said his outfit has geo-referenced over 3,000 agro-input dealer sales points and seed producers in Ghana. He said the database of agro-input dealers is intended to provide business opportunities by identifying areas of low density so that agro-input dealers can open more outlets.

According to Mr. Asare, the project has also established SMS mobile telephony applications to link agro-input dealers to seed producers. “In order to provide more responsive service to the agro dealers' quest to move more improved seeds to farmers, the project has developed a mobile and internet application platform that will help link seed producers to agro-input dealers”, he said. He noted that the move was to provide business linkages between seed producers in Ghana and agro-input dealers to enable farmers have access to certified seeds during farming seasons.

Mr Asare said, activities undertaken included the training and technical assistance to build the capacity of agro-dealers in creating business linkages with seed and other inputs suppliers. He said the project in collaboration with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Division of Ministry of Agriculture (PPRSD/MoFA) has trained over 1,400 agro-input dealers all over the country. “GADD also train dealers in the value and methods of providing service to farmers such as field demonstrations and best agricultural practices.

Mr Fred Tagoe, President of the Greater Accra Chapter of Ghana Agri-Input Dealers Association told GNA that the project had strengthen the operations the Association in the form of training and the provision of credit guarantee loans.

“With the training programmes organised for the association twice every year, we have gain insight in office management practice and education on more agro-chemicals and its uses”. “Initially, people were 'doing their own thing', as in selling of fake Agro chemicals and adulteration of seeds which negatively affected the operations of farmers. The project has brought sanity into the agro-input industry.

AGRA is a partnership working across Africa to help millions of small-scale farmers and their families lift themselves out of poverty and hunger. Its programmes are based on developing practical solutions to boost farm productivity and incomes for the poor while safeguarding the environment. AGRA advocates for policies that support its work across all key aspects of the African agricultural value chain - from seeds, soil health and water to markets and agricultural education.

GNA