Female farmers in the northern region of Ghana are among 35,000 smallholder farmers who are being backed by an agricultural programme that will aim to increase their productivity and increase their incomes
The Agricultural Value Chains Mentorship Project (AVCMP) has been rolled out by the Alliance for Agricultural Revolution in Africa (AGRA), with financial backing from the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), giving female farmers the opportunity to cultivate their land.
“They told us that the best way to grow the rice is not to throw the seeds onto the farmland haphazardly, but to use the line and spacing method," said Mma Adama Fuseini, a female farmer at Naha in the Tolon District.
The initiative also aims to combat some of the problems that affect crop production in the northern region, such as reduced soil fertility and poor agronomic practices.
"When we do the spacing, it makes it easier for us to clear the weeds when they grow and also to enter the farm and apply fertiliser," she added.
"We need some credit to buy fertiliser, seeds and chemicals. We also need money to pay for tractor services."
