AgDevCo to support food production at Tono (D/G, Thursday, May 2,2013 page 23)

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Tono Agriculture plays a significant role in the socio-economic development of every nation. Apart from fielding the population, it serves as a source of foreign exchange through the export of produce. The sector also provides raw material which feed industries and offers employment to many including the youth. In the Upper East Region, the sector has want it takes to generate employment for the populace considering the fact that not many industries exist to absolve the youth especially who out of frustration are forced to migrate to the southern parts of Ghana in search of menial jobs. Although governments both past and present have put in so much, more remain to be done to fully exploit the potentials that the sector offers. It is in this light that private participation in the agriculture sector is very much needed. One of such private institutions to have partnered government to venture into the sector to contribute to food security in the Upper East Region is the African Agricultural Development Company (AgDevCo). AgDevCo exists to help farmers grow their profit to its maximum potential by developing projects that improve access to their goods and services farmers need to get better yields and to get better prices for their produce. AgDevCo does this in partnership with governments in many African countries including Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania and Malawi. In each of these countries, they have helped build and grow farming businesses and are also developing large irrigation projects for both small and large farmers. According to available literature, many of these projects have been very successful. In order to tap into the potential that exists in the Upper East Region, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture invited AgDevCo to Ghana to look at developing irrigated farming projects. The team from AgDevCo spent six months studying the whole country and chose Navrongo with the belief that the potential of the farmers here is a big as farmers in any country where they have worked. AgDevCo was asked by its partners, MoFA, DFID and USAID to develop a new project like that of the Irrigation Company of Upper Region (ICOUR) that expands the services provided and add new services. Mr. Yasser U. Toor, West Africa Director of AgDevCo at a farmers’ field day at Tono near Navrongo said the project will expand grain production by providing irrigation for farmers to grow aromatic rice and also other crops like maize, sorghum and soyabean. He added that they will also include milling and marketing services to ensure farmers get the best prices for the production. He noted that the first step to setting up a profitable project is to prove the potential of the area. He stressed that every area has its own soils, climate and agronomy. That is why AgDevCo have set up a demonstration farm to prove what results are possible. In Tono, AgDevCo is developing a new 2 to 3,000 hectare irrigated farm next to the existing Tono Irrigation Scheme. The farm will be jointly farmed by a commercial company and a large number of local farmers. A rice mill, storage facilities, inputs, equipment and technical advice will be provided to the local farmers. AgDevCo for a start have piloted a maize and sorghum farm. Working in partnership with the best scientists from the crop research institute and the Savannah Agriculture Institute, they have brought in seed varieties from other countries as far away as Zimbabwe and South Africa to demonstrate the potential of the Upper East Region. “Many people told us that maize would not germinate or pollinate in the heat of the dry season. We are very happy that we did not listen to them. The results are before you.” Mr. Toor said. He said it is a sad fact that Ghanaian farmers have fewer choices when choosing seed than farmers in any other country where AgDevCo have worked. He said through the efforts of Ghana’s leading scientists like Dr. Musharak Abdulai and Dr. Obeng Antwi and a few pioneering seed companies like Agriserve and Wienco, great improvements have been made. “Today, farmers can buy hybrid maize seed from these companies that have the potential to give 6 to 8 tonnes per hectare. This is something to be applauded.” He said. In his view. Everything starts with seed but does not end with the seed. Therefore to get the best from their seed, farmers need other services such as fertilizers, herbicide and pesticide. Also farmers need irrigation, modern machinery for land preparation, plowing, harvesting and modern milling and marketing services so their paddy can be sold at fair price. “Why should farmers sell paddy for GH c 50.00 per maxi bag when in Tema, the same rice sells for three times more after it is milled?’ he asked It is for these reasons that Mr. Toor said MoFA has tasked them to explore the potential of the Tono area and expand irrigated grain production. The Deputy Upper East Regional Minister, Mr. Daniel Syme who participated in the field tour opined that t he project if well developed would not only offer employment to the people in the region but also has the potential to transform the lives of the people in the region by attracting further private investment and expertise to contribute to poverty reduction and local food security. He further stated that the project will improve access to needed infrastructure such as irrigation, processing, grain storage and other services, adding that it will develop supply and markets services by attracting businesses to the region through the creation of reliable supply and demand conditions that make these business opportunities economically feasible. To Mr Syme, the project will also improve market access for farmers and small enterprise especially for our women. With all this optimism expresses, one can only hope that all the stakeholders such as chiefs, landlords, individual families, ordinary farmers will work together with AgDevCo to ensure that this project is successful. -End- Writer’s email: Benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh