Case IH is donating machinery and expertise to Damongo Agricultural College in the Northern Region of Ghana, to help train Ghana’s farmers of the future
The programme is in line with Case IH’s aim to support and train students in smart agricultural activities.
As a result, many students are expected to graduate from the college with the skills required to gain employment in Yagaba. This project will start by farming 400 ha of land and has ambitions to expand to 6000 ha, with the potential to eventually create up to 15,000 new jobs in Ghana’s poorest region.
From September 2018, a pilot programme will initially train 60 students in irrigation techniques, climate-smart practices such as the use of solar-powered pumps and the operation and maintenance of a wide range of agricultural equipment. Students will also be taught how to pass on their new knowledge as managers in the field and will be able to transfer their skills to almost any crop.
The new initiative is part of a government-backed Development Partnership with the Private Sector (DPP). Case IH is collaborating in this with GIZ, the agency implementing German development cooperation with the government of Ghana, and with Integrated Water Management & Agricultural Development Ghana Ltd (IWAD), a company focused on expanding commercially viable irrigation and modern agronomic practices. Case IH brings the project world-class expertise as a manufacturer of agricultural equipment for crops ranging from corn to sugarcane and will be providing comprehensive support and operational training.
Case IH will initially assist Damongo Agricultural College from September 2018 and through 2019 by donating a JX55T utility tractor and teaching students how to maintain and operate it for maximum productivity. Eventually, there will be workshop facilities for the maintenance of up to five tractors, equipped with Case IH Advanced Farming System components for precision sugarcane production.
This project also is set to benefit Damongo Agricultural College with other agricultural machinery and workshop tools, training for instructors, a solar pump-powered irrigation system, a greenhouse and trial sugarcane planting.
Daniel Bordabossana, marketing manager for Case IH Middle East and Africa, commented, “The modernisation and mechanisation of agricultural practices are important parts of Ghana’s economic development. Through mechanisation, Ghana’s farms will be able to produce more, feed more people and increase the number of jobs in this area.”
“There is also a need to encourage more young people in Ghana to choose agriculture as a vocation because the average age of farmers here is currently so high it threatens the industry’s sustainability. For these reasons we’re delighted to be involved in this Development Partnership Project and look forward to showing many young students how rewarding farming can really be.”
Case IH’s best-selling tractors in Ghana include the three-cylinder 55 hp and four-cylinder 75 hp JXT Series models, both designed for smaller-scale farms which need total reliability and high performance for a variety of root crop and harvesting applications. Also popular in Ghana are the three smaller JXT Compact models, ranging from 36 to 47 hp. With rugged and reliable three-cylinder naturally aspirated engines, these deliver powerful performance with exceptionally low operating costs.
