SNV seeks partnership to scale up sesame project

Stakeholders in agriculture including other non-governmental organizations have been called upon to partner with the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) to scale up its Sesame Value Chain Project to ensure that more farmers benefitted from the initiative.

Mr Issahaku Zakaria, Project Manager in-charge of Sesame Value Chain Project of SNV made the call during the opening of the project’s review and planning workshop organized by SNV in Tamale on Thursday to share achievements, successes and challenges as part of the implementation of the project.

The two-day workshop was attended by SNV’s local partners on the project, agro-input dealers, and representatives from farmer associations, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and buyers of sesame seeds.

The SNV is implementing the three-year (2013 – 2015) Sesame Value Chain Project with the objective to improve sesame yields of farmers, introduce proper post-harvest techniques associated with sesame production and improve market access for sesame producers.

About 10,000 farmers at Saboba, Chereponi, East Mamprusi, West Mamprusi and Kasena Nankana West Districts in the Northern and Upper East Regions were benefiting from the project, which ends in December this year.

Sesame is a broad-leaf oil seed crop, which is cultivated as a second crop in the savannah regions during the dry season and it has several uses including for making cakes, and pastries.

Mr Zakaria said the project had had tremendous impact on the lives of beneficiary farmers hence the need to scale it up to cover the entire savannah zone.

He said the project had led to increased production of sesame across the beneficiary districts, whiles post-harvest losses reduced leading to sustainable business development amongst beneficiary farmers.

He said it had also ensured ready market for the produce resulting in improved incomes for the farmers.

Mr John Nanten, Manager of MUYO Farms and nucleus farmer at Saboba District, who is a beneficiary of the project, said the ready market for the produce encouraged farmers to increase productivity to earn additional income.

Mr Clifford Adagenera, Project Officer of Organization for Indigenous Initiatives and Sustainability, one of SNV’s local partners at Kasena Nankana West District, also lauded the project but recommended that a minimum price at which to buy the produce be set at the beginning of each farming season to enable the farmers know how much they would earn.

Mr Adagenera said even though most the produce was exported, there was need to encourage local consumption of sesame to ensure more market for the produce.