Farmers, agricultural researchers attend workshop

Takoradi, July 23, GNA - The Western Regional Office of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) would begin a bi-monthly technical review meeting to deliberate on suggestions from farmers and research institutions and how institutions have acted on new ideas and suggestions.

Additionally, a monitoring team would be formed to visit farms of some beneficiaries and assist them with such technical assistance. Mr David Okine, Western Regional Director of MOFA was speaking at a one-day Workshop for Research Extension Farmer Linkage Committee (RECL) members at Takoradi on Wednesday.

Researchers, farmers, directors of agriculture, scientist and representatives of non-governmental organisations (NGO) nationwide attended the workshop.

He said the RECL aims at collating ideas and problems confronting the sector and finding appropriate methods to solve the problems through joint efforts by the technocrats and farmers.

Mr Okine said lack of inputs in some districts could account for the low yield of crops by some farmers.

Mr Emmanuel Andoh-Mensah, the Regional RECL Coordinator said bird invasion of rice farms, difficulty in marketing cassava, difficulty in preserving cassava sticks after harvesting and the poor processing techniques, were major problems of farmers in the region. He however, appealed to farmers to seek technical advice from MOFA before they go into any agriculture project.

Mr Andoh-Mensah said this could enable them to choose the appropriate area, land and other facilities that would improve on their yield.